U and A
by ImmaBeatYouWithaCrowbar
Summary: After Max left in the middle of the night, the flock split up. Now, three years later, the lives they left behind are catching up to them. COMPLETE.
1. Prologue

**A/N: For the first time ever, counting both FanFiction and FictionPress, I'm going to attempt an actual story, not just a one-shot. Wish me luck! And remember, criticism's always welcome!**

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_Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god, please let me get there first, _please….

This was the only thought that had been racing through my head ever since I'd first taken off. Even though I could travel at about two hundred mph, my destination was a good eight hundred miles from my starting point. That meant _four hours._

I had to get there before the Erasers did. Yes, I had super speed, and being able to fly meant no traffic, but they had a head start. My estimate was that they'd started two hours before I had figured out what was going on, but I wasn't sure. For all I knew, they could have already been there by now.

I swallowed thickly, forcing that thought out of my head. Trying to distract myself, I turned my head ever so slightly to stare at the rising sun. I could barely see a line of orange over the horizon. _It's dawn! Oh my god, please don't be there yet, please let me get there first._

Turns out, the sunrise wasn't so calming.

How would he react to seeing me? Would he believe me? I hoped that he would; his life and the lives of the others depended on it. And he had always been the understanding one, and I had left to protect them, so I hoped he didn't have too much of a grudge against me.

I couldn't be sure, though. I had left without even a warning three years ago, and I hadn't even tried to contact them since. I kept tabs on them all, though, and it hurt me to say that they'd split up. They were scattered throughout the country, and that would make it so hard to round them all up.

But I had to do it.

Pursing my lips, I scanned the ground for anything that looked even remotely Eraser-like. I wasn't sure where they were. Had I passed them? Had I caught up to them? Was I too far behind to be of any use to the others?

I couldn't let that thought stay, either. I had to stay focused. I couldn't get lost. Getting lost would be fatal for all of them.

Biting my tongue so hard that it bled, I continued sweeping my eyes across the ground. This was like a race, so it was always good to know where exactly the other guy was.

I had never lost a race before.

I prayed to God that I didn't lose this one.


	2. One

**A/N: Alright. This is the furthest I've ever made it in any of my chapter story attempts. Chapter two. Oh, yeah, and the chapters are going to be short. I want to stick to the J.P. style of, like, three pages a chapter. I know, mine's probably shorter. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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Some called him James. Some called him Grif. Most called him Jimmy. No one called him Iggy.

Now, Jimmy was sitting on the lower bunk of a bunk bed. He was in a college dorm room ("Only seventeen and already a college freshman!" his parents would say), surrounded by three of his friends, their girlfriends, and his own girlfriend.

Jimmy had his elbows propped on his knees and the palms of his hands pressed against his unseeing eyes. "Guys, _really,"_ he complained. "I have to get out of here. I feel like I'm suffocating."

The word "claustrophobia" was so overused nowadays that no one really believed that he had it, least of all his girlfriend, Phoebe.

"Seriously, Jimmy, drop the act," she said, giggling. She leaned against him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "We all know that you're anti-social and just don't like being here. There's no use pretending anymore."

Jimmy sighed heavily. He knew that his "anti-social" reputation would bite him in the ass one of these days. He couldn't help but remember a certain someone who never had to suffer due to his loner attitude.

He _really_ felt like he had to get out of there, or else he was going to explode. But he already knew that Gabe was blocking the door. Everyone thought that Jimmy couldn't fight, and that he would especially be no match for the mighty Gabe Rudolph, star quarterback. They had no idea just how quickly Jimmy would be able to take Gabe down, and he knew that he wasn't going to show them. They were his friends, after all.

It was just too bad that they thought this was just one big joke. They had no idea how much Jimmy was freaking out.

_Dog crates. Cages. No, no, no. Have to get out, have to get out. Cages. Dog crates. Have to get out._

Flashbacks were pelting him like rocks. Waking up every morning with an aching body, cramped because of the cage. Needles, drawing blood and forcing God-knows-what into his system. Being dragged down hall after hall. Being forced to run mazes or run on a treadmill for hours. Malicious wolf men taunting him, drool dripping off their fangs, commenting on how much they loved seven-year-old chow. Waking up one day, and everything was black, knowing he'd never be able to see again.

"Please," Jimmy pleaded.

Phoebe's arm retracted from around his waist, and she began to massage his shoulders. "Jimmy, are you okay?" she asked, true concern enlaced in her voice.

"I have to get out of here," he replied, squeezing his eyes shut as he rubbed his temples, willing the memories to go away.

"Guys," Phoebe said, "I don't think he's kidding."

Jimmy felt an involuntary snarl appear on his lips. _Gee, what gave you that idea?_

Phoebe stood. Holding his hand, she pulled him up with her. "Gabe, move. Jimmy and I are going out for a breath of fresh air." Times like these, Jimmy was reminded why he liked Phoebe.

"Oh, no!" Lucas moaned from the other side of the room.

"He lured her into his trap," Lucas's girlfriend, Beth, added.

"I don't think he's kidding," Phoebe persisted, her voice becoming angry. "Gabe, move before I kick your ass."

Suddenly, there was a quick knock on the door. Gabe turned and answered it. Jimmy and Phoebe were to the side, out of the line of vision of the visitor.

"Ah! There's a foxy lady at the door!" Gabe said, and Jimmy was sure that the older boy was smiling. "What's your name, foxy lady? Come in, join the party."

The woman on the other side said something, and Gabe laughed. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. Ain't no Iggy here."

Jimmy's eyes immediately widened. _Iggy?_

"Iggy, what kind of a name is that?" Gabe continued. " Is he your boyfriend, foxy lady? Well, come on in, and I guarantee you won't be looking for him anymore."

Jimmy pulled his hand from Phoebe's grip and inched closer to the door. He kept out of sight of whoever was at the door, because even after all these years, he was still paranoid. Still, he had to see who it was. _No one_ called him Iggy anymore.

An all-too-familiar voice replied, "No. I _really_ have to find Iggy. Could he be in any of the other dorms? I was told he's at _this_ university."

"Don't know any Iggy, foxy lady, but come on-"

Jimmy interrupted. He all but shoved Gabe out of the way, asking, "Nudge, is that you?"


	3. Two

**A/N: I finished this chapter the same day I posted the prologue. I've been telling myself "No, Angelica, only post one chapter a day!" When you finish basically three chapters a day, it gets pretty hard. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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A man clad completely in black tiptoed inside of a house. He was thankful that there wasn't an alarm; that would've made this so much more difficult.

Quietly closing the door behind him, he slid his lock-picking tools into his pocket. He was lucky that he had learned how to pick locks before he had been separated from the others.

Somewhere in this house were two young children. He had to get them, and he had to make it quick. The others would be disappointed if he didn't return with the two. After the last time, he had sworn that he would never disappoint them again.

He walked further into the kitchen. He moved as silently as a ghost, so there was no worry of waking the children's adoptive parents. A quick scan of the downstairs revealed only a kitchen, a bathroom, the parents' bedroom, and the living room. So, the man quietly walked up the staircase.

The first door was cracked, and he immediately identified it as a bathroom. Across from it was a door too narrow to be anything but a closet. Now, there were only three doors left.

Opening the first one revealed nothing but an empty bedroom. The man pursed his lips. He _knew_ that he was at the right place, but he couldn't be certain if he was too late.

He mouthed the word 'please' as he moved to the next door. It wasn't like him to beg, but if he was too late…he wasn't sure what he'd do.

Slowly and ever so quietly, he turned the knob. Holding his breath, he gently pushed the door open. At first glance, he saw nothing of interest, but then he saw pink sheets surrounding the shadow of a bed. _She always liked cozy places…always the least claustrophobic of us,_ he thought. He almost smiled.

Tiptoeing into the room, the man held out his arms, ready to draw the sheets aside. When he did, moonlight from a window spilled over the curled-up form of a sleeping girl. The man smiled in relief.

_I'm not too late._

On instinct, the man reached out to stroke the girl's blonde, cornrowed hair. All these years, and she hadn't changed it.

The second he touched her hair, the girl was on her back, her wide, blue eyes staring up at him. Her mouth snapped open, and she sucked in a breath to scream. Before she could, the man clamped a hand over her mouth. Her shriek was muffled, but still very _there._ He hoped she hadn't woken her adoptive parents.

The girl began to fight, and the man hissed, "Angel, it's me!"

Immediately, she froze, staring at him. He felt her leaf her way through his thoughts. _It's just me, Angel,_ he thought. _It's just me._

Just as the girl began to relax under his grip, the light flashed on. Almost immediately, he felt someone crash into him, tackling him to the ground. He was so winded that he was _sure_ that the Erasers had caught up to him, that he was just _barely_ too late to save the two youngest.

But when he looked up at the attacker, he saw a boy with wild, blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked just like the girl.

The man smiled as he caught both of the boy's fists. "Protecting your sister, I see," he said with a small smile.

The boy recognized the man's voice, and he stared at the man in bewilderment. It took him a moment to process the man's appearance, searching to see if he was who he thought he was.

_"Fang?"_ the boy asked incredulously, and the man's smile was his only reply.


	4. Three

**A/N: Thank you guys for all the good reviews! Oh, and I consider a seventeen-year-old a man, but basically only because he's a **_**young**_** man. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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"Iggy!"

Nudge's body collided with Iggy's as she threw her arms around him. "I was so afraid that I was too late or if I was at the wrong place or something," she said. "I mean, the directions I got weren't very specific, seeing as who they came from, and I've been on the go for so long-"

Very gently, Iggy pushed Nudge away. He stepped out into the hall with her, closing the dorm room's door behind. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Nudge glanced around nervously. "Not here," she said. "I betcha those friends of yours are eavesdropping. Not only that, but we _really_ have to leave, or else we'll be in a _lot_ of big, big trouble."

She took his hand and began to pull him down the hall, but the door flung open. Gabe hung out, whining, "No, foxy lady, don't go! Stay!"

Feeling a sudden pang of anger, Iggy snapped, "Gabe, she's _fourteen!"_

"It's okay, Iggy, I'm used to it. But we have to _keep moving,"_ Nudge urged. Iggy nodded, and the duo continued down the hall.

"Jimmy, where are you going?"

The icy tone in the voice made Iggy stop dead in his tracks. Nudge tried to pull him back, but Iggy stayed glued to the spot.

"Phoebe," he said, turning to face the woman standing in the hall, "listen. You don't know what's going on. _I_ don't even know what's going on. But if she's here-" He gestured in Nudge's general direction. "-then it has to be bad."

"Yeah, right," Phoebe snarled, storming towards them. "I'm not stupid, Griffiths."

Iggy quickly stepped in front of Nudge, holding out his hands to stop Phoebe. "Phoebe, calm down. She's like a little sister to me. That's all, I swear."

Nudge grasped his sleeve, tugging at it. "Iggy," she whined, "we _really_ have to go. I was told that we didn't have any time to waste. I couldn't even say goodbye to my adoptive parents!"

"Shut up!" Phoebe snapped at her.

_"You_ shut up!" Nudge retaliated, and Iggy was startled by the venom in her voice. "You have no idea what's going on. Now, Iggy, we _seriously_ have to…"

Her voice trailed off, and her eyes widened. She was staring at something past Phoebe. Phoebe turned to see two tall, muscular men in suits and sunglasses at the end of the hall. One pressed a finger to his ear and said a few words.

Nudge cried out and yanked at Iggy, jerking him backwards. "They're here!" she shouted, dragging him down the hall.

"Why do you have to be on the third story?!" Nudge growled as they crashed through the door leading to the stairs.

At this, Iggy couldn't help but laugh. This wasn't the Nudge he was used to. She sounded more like… Iggy frowned. She sounded more like someone he didn't like to think about.

The two were fast, but Erasers were always faster. Iggy and Nudge had barely set foot on the second story when they heard the door upstairs burst open. Quick, heavy footsteps began racing down the stairs toward them, and Iggy and Nudge took it up a notch.

By the time the two were pushing through the door leading to ground level, the Erasers were halfway between the second and first stories.

Nudge began to turn left, but Iggy snatched her hand and yanked her towards the right. He was blind, and he was still better at navigation than she was.

Nudge glanced over her shoulder. "They're catching up to us!" she cried. Iggy kept going. Just a little longer…

And right as Nudge screamed in fear, Iggy went from running as fast as he could to standing still as a stone. He bent over, and an Eraser crashed into him and tumbled right over him. Surprised that trick had actually worked, Iggy fell down on top of the Eraser, grasping his bulky arm.

The second one was holding Nudge in the air by her waist. Nudge brought her elbow back sharply, slamming it into the Eraser's nose. He barely even flinched, so Nudge brought her knees up to her chest and swung both heels back. Her platforms sure did a good job of hurting where the sun don't shine, because the Eraser dropped her in a second. One roundhouse kick later, and he was on the ground.

Iggy had pulled the Eraser's arm back until he heard that _CRACK!_ that only meant one thing: a broken bone. Then, Nudge had his wrist, and they were shooting down the hall once again.

In only seconds, the two were out the main entrance.

Suddenly, Nudge tackled Iggy to the ground, and the two just barely avoided the swinging arms of Erasers. The asphalt skinned their hands and knees, but they were immediately on their feet again. Nudge exclaimed, "This way! I have a car!"

Iggy didn't even have to think before stating, "Nudge, you're too young to drive."

Nudge shot him a look, but it had no effect on the blind young man.

Iggy followed the sound of Nudge's footsteps. Suddenly, she grasped his sleeve and shoved him to a car door. Without hesitation, he climbed inside, and he heard Nudge jump into the driver's seat.

"Be ready for a bumpy ride!" she exclaimed, and then the car was in reverse.

Nudge winced as she felt the car collide with an Eraser. However, she wasted no time in turning the car. Before either could say Sally sold seashells down by the seashore, they were on the streets.

In no time, Erasers were trailing them. Amazingly, a devilish grin appeared on Nudge's lips. Only three years ago, she would've panicked and broken down. "Actiony car chase time!" she said excitedly, slamming her foot down on a pedal.

Iggy cried out and immediately grabbed his seatbelt.


	5. Four

**A/N: And, of course, the shortest chapter yet follows the longest chapter yet. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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After Gazzy had climbed off him, Fang was all business again. His smile long gone, he began, "As I'm sure you guys can imagine, I'm not here for a slumber party. You guys are in danger. We all are. I got Nudge and sent her after Iggy, so all we have to do is get to Lake Mead, okay? No stopping for _anything_ on the way. It'll be too close of a call if we waste more time than we have to."

Angel nodded. Gazzy wiped the shocked expression off his face, and Fang saw the boy steel himself.

"What kind of danger?" he demanded to know.

"Itex," Fang replied without hesitation. "They're not just after Max anymore. They want all of us. I don't know why they do, but I know that it can't be good. Erasers are on their way over here, and they'll be here any minute now."

Gazzy still wasn't satisfied. "What if I don't believe you?"

Fang placed both hands on the Gasman's shoulders, stating with all sincerity, "You're dog meat."

Gazzy stepped backwards, pulling himself from beneath Fang's hands. "How do I know you really _are_ Fang, and not just a clone?" he asked. God, Fang knew that there was a reason that he was proud of the kid. _Don't trust anyone._ "How do I know-"

"It's him, Gazzy," Angel interrupted, her eyes still focused on Fang. "It really _is_ Fang." The nine-year-old swallowed thickly, a faint nervousness etching itself across her face. Her eyes dropped to the pink carpet as she finished, "And we really _are_ in trouble."


	6. Five

**A/N: Past my bedtime…sleepy…oh, well. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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"Roger!"

Roger moaned, rolling over onto his side. He ignored his wife's hand on his shoulder. "Roger," Annette repeated. She shook him until he rolled over onto his back and gazed up at her with sleep-blurred eyes.

"Wha izzit, 'Net?"

The fear on Annette's face woke Roger up. Her words had him on his feet in a second. "I hear a man's voice upstairs!"

Not a thought passed through Roger's mind as he raced to the stairs and up to the second level of their house. Now he heard it too; a low voice, young and male.

Light was spilling from his adoptive daughter's room. _A male intruder is in my daughter's room,_ was all Roger could think as he approached the doorway. _A male intruder is in my daughter's room._

Annette had followed him, and she clutched onto his arm as Roger made his way into the room.

The first thing he saw was a young man clothed in black standing in the middle of his daughter's room. The man's dark eyes stared into Roger's hazel ones, and something in that gaze made the forty-two-year-old man hesitate. He quickly shook it off and demanded, "What are you doing in my home?"

Angel and Gazzy, both dressed in traveling clothes, were standing by the man. Both had backpacks slung over their shoulders.

Roger advanced toward the young man. Angel was quick to jump in front of the man, and Roger stopped in his tracks. Angel stated, "Fang is a friend."

From behind Roger, Annette said, "Angel, sweetie…just because someone says that they're your friend, doesn't make it so."

Gazzy and Angel shared a long look. "Listen, Annette, Roger," Gazzy began tentatively, "I think there's something we should tell you." The two looked up at Fang, and he shook his head no.

That didn't stop Angel, though.

"Gazzy and I appreciate the care you've given us the past three years," Angel said calmly, "but there's a secret we've been keeping from you."

Annette tried to find the right words. "Honey…"

Angel shook her head, then snapped out her wings. Annette and Roger cried out. Annette stumbled into Roger, and the two stared at the nine-year-old's snow white wings with gargantuan, disbelieving eyes.

"I'm not an angel," Angel stated, reading their minds. "I was an experiment. I'm only ninety-eight percent human; the other two percent is bird. Gazzy and Fang are the exact same way. We were kept at a laboratory until a man there rescued us. Gazzy and I grew up with Fang and a few others. Now, it's time for us to come back together."

The story of their lives, summed up in only a few sentences. Annette and Roger didn't seem to be able to take it all in.

"A…all this t-time…," Roger stammered, bulging eyes still locked on Angel's wings.

The emotionless expression on Angel's face gave way to a sad one. She rushed forward and threw her arms around Annette, hugging her tightly. After a long moment, Annette returned the gesture.

"Angel," Fang stated, "we have to go. No wasting time."

"He's right," Gazzy agreed.

Angel gave her adoptive mother one last squeeze before pulling away. "We're going to be gone for a while," she said. Tears were beginning to swell in her eyes. "We're not sure how long, but…it'll be a while."

Annette's mouth felt as dry as cotton. "Do you…do you really have to go?" she stammered.

Gazzy nodded. "We have no choice. And you guys might want to leave the area for a little bit; the people after us might try to hurt you."

The warning alone showed how much Gazzy cared for these two. Fang pursed his lips, wishing for the thousandth time that he hadn't had to come here.

"We have to go," he repeated quietly.

And before either of the adults really had a chance to think, all three had brushed by them. The trio was downstairs before the two could even blink. Quickly, they regained themselves and chased after them. By the time they were at the bottom of the staircase, Fang, Gazzy, and Angel were already through the front door.

Annette and Roger stayed on the porch as the three ran out into the yard. "U and A," Fang said easily. Gazzy and Angel obeyed, taking a running start before leaping into the air.

"Wait!" Annette shouted. The worry on her face almost made Fang smile.

"Don't worry," he said as he snapped out his black wings. "I'll take care of them."

And then he was off, speeding after Gazzy and Angel. Annette and Roger ran out into the yard, watching them disappear into the night.


	7. Six

**A/N: Don't worry, the boring on-their-way-to-meet-each-other chapters will be ending soon. I think that this might be the last one. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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Eventually, they had lost the Erasers. As soon as they were in the clear, Iggy had asked, "So what's wrong?"

Nudge had calmly explained that she couldn't tell him yet. "I'm not sure whether this car is bugged or not…," she had said.

Iggy's confusion could've be felt for miles all around. Carefully, Nudge had continued, "Well, on my way over to your college…oh, and by the way, congrats on that. Seventeen and in college! I'm impressed! So, on my way over to your college, I ran into this pack of Erasers, right? And right when they thought they had me, a kinda…sorta…stole one of their cars."

Now that was _definitely_ not the Nudge Iggy knew. As soon as he had heard that, he had burst into laughter. Nudge had smiled.

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny, too," she had added. "The looks on their faces when the 'little brown piglet' was speeding away in one of their cars…" She had laughed. "Staring in the rearview mirror was worth almost getting into a crash!"

After a long time of driving, they had ditched the car and took off into the air. As the sun was setting, they'd made it to Lake Mead, only to find that Fang, Gazzy, and Angel hadn't arrived yet.

It had been then that Nudge had explained. Suddenly grim, she'd said, "Itex is after us again." Quietly, she'd told her story, how Fang had intercepted her on her way home, how they had to leave immediately, how Nudge hadn't had a chance to tell her adoptive parents goodbye.

Night had come and gone. Now, Iggy was still asleep in the cave, and Nudge was flying with the hawks.

This was something that she had missed with everything she had. Being able to fly freely, surrounded by hawks…it felt like home to her. Grinning, she did a barrel roll, and a hawk screeched at her for almost hitting it with her wing.

Flying wasn't the best part of today, though. She was with Iggy again, and words couldn't describe how happy that made her. Soon, Gazzy, Fang, and Angel would be there, too, and they would almost be the whole flock again!

Suddenly, Nudge frowned.

No Max.

And also…what if…what if Fang had gotten there too late? What if the Erasers had gotten Gazzy and Angel, and when Fang got there, they captured him, too? Nudge swallowed thickly. What if she and Iggy were the only ones left?

Nudge barely had time to feel the worry before a dead weight slammed into her back. A scream ripped its way from her mouth as she was sent down. Two arms wrapped around her waist, and she quickly realized that no_thing_ had fallen on her; some_one_ had.

Someone was attacking her.


	8. Seven

**A/N: I'm really getting confused over what romances I should have. Fax is a definite, Nazzy is a definitely **_**not,**_** but I'm debating over whether Niggy should be involved. I need some help, and who better to give it than the readers? And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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They were flying above Lake Mead now.

The second they saw the girl with tawny wings below, Gazzy's eyes had immediately met Fang's. Fang slowly shook his head no, but that mischievous grin lit up the eleven-year-old's face.

Gazzy tucked in his wings and dropped like a rock.

Fang couldn't help but praise the kid on his aim. He landed right on Nudge right as she flew beneath him.

Nudge's shriek probably could've been heard for miles around. The two fell quicker than bricks, and for a moment Fang was afraid that the two were going to go splat. The fear didn't last long, because Gazzy snapped his wings out, and the two were catapulted into the air as if by parachute.

Now, Nudge was all-out screeching, but that didn't block out Gazzy's laughter. Nudge's head turned , and her scream stopped the instant her brown eyes came in contact with those blue ones.

For the briefest of seconds, Nudge seemed surprised. Then, before anyone could blink, she was going for Gazzy's throat. Still laughing, Gazzy dropped her like a bad habit, and Nudge's wings unfurled before she had fallen too far.

Then, it was a matter of who was faster. The Gasman definitely didn't win that one, and soon Nudge, now screaming with fury, had Gazzy in a tight chokehold. Somehow, it still didn't stop him from cackling like a witch.

Angel and Fang shared a long look.

Right after Gazzy laughed, "Uncle!," everyone heard a shout of "Nudge!"

Iggy was standing at the mouth of the cave. _Quick instincts,_ Fang thought sarcastically, and he heard Angel giggle.

"Don't worry!" Nudge snarled, reluctantly releasing Gazzy. The blonde-haired boy floated in front of her, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "It's just Gazzy."

It took her mind a moment to process what she'd just said. Slowly, her eyes grew bigger, and soon they were making their way upwards. Her brown orbs locked on Angel, and the nine-year-old smiled and waved. "…and Angel…," Nudge added. Her eyes moved over to Fang. "…and Fang…"

Nudge screamed in happiness and launched herself forward, throwing her arms around Gazzy in a tight hug.


	9. Eight

**A/N: Trying to watch **_**Most Terrifying Places in America 2**_** and trying to write a nice, meagerly humorous story at the same time doesn't really work so well. Oh, well. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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Hours had passed since Gazzy, Angel, and Fang had arrived at Lake Mead. Now, rain was pouring, and the five avian Americans were sitting in a tight circle in the safety of the cave.

"And then _BOOM!"_ Gazzy threw his arms up into the air, laughing. "That mailbox was no more! God, Roger and Annette got so mad at me for that."

"They were pretty uneasy, too," Angel added. "They were both thinking, 'Where on earth did a nine-year-old learn to make a bomb?'"

Iggy laughed. "That reminds me of the time I blew up a wardrobe. It was junk, and my parents were going to throw it out. I took it into the back yard, and ka-blam-o."

Nudge grinned at the group, tucking a dark curl behind her ear. "You guys haven't changed a bit," she said. "When we were little, you blew things up and scared Jeb half to death. Now, you blow things up and scare your caretakers half to death. I mean, remember that time when we all went off to save Angel, and Max almost took your heads off when she figured out you blew that old cabin up? I thought she was gonna kill you!"

Smiles dimmed at the mention of Max's name. Nudge frowned the instant she realized it, and she looked down at her lap.

"Well," Angel said, reluctant to let the group dwell on the subject, "I'm happy that we're here. It's nice being together for the first time in, what…three years?"

"It's great that we're having a reunion," Gazzy agreed happily, falling onto his back. "Even if it is just because our lives are in danger."

His words hit home, and everyone was quiet for a long moment.

"Thanks for saving me, Nudge," Iggy said, breaking the silence.

Nudge shrugged. "Don't thank me," she replied. "I wouldn't have been able to if it wasn't for Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome over there. In fact, I think we all would've been in some very big trouble if Fang hadn't come along and saved us. It's a good thing he figured out and came as quickly as he could, huh? It's a wonder he even knew where we were! I mean-"

"Fang," Iggy interrupted all of a sudden, "how _did_ you know we were in trouble, anyway?"

Fang pursed his lips, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. The other four recognized this as his "not-gonna-answer-that" look.

After a moment, Fang heard a quiet gasp. He looked up to see Angel staring at him with wide, shocked eyes. Confusion was etched all over her face, and Fang gave a single, curt nod.

Angel swallowed thickly before saying, "Max told him."


	10. Nine

**A/N: Yes, I do like cliffhangers, people. You'll be seeing a lot of them…which isn't a necessarily good thing. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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"What?!" Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy shouted in unison.

Immediately questions were being hurled at Fang from three different directions. He couldn't tell who was saying what, so he simply closed his eyes, waiting calmly for the three to finish.

The last thing any of the three said were Nudge's three final questions: "Why didn't you tell us, Fang? Where is Max? Where has she been all these years?"

The group silenced, and Fang pursed his lips before replying, "I didn't tell you because she asked me not to. As for the other two questions…" Fang's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know."

Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge nodded in understanding.

"You should've told us," Iggy growled.

Fang sighed, massaging his temples. He didn't want to get into an argument _now,_ right after they'd gotten back together. "Iggy-"

"Why'd she leave?" Iggy interrupted, talking more to himself than anyone else. He clenched his fists tightly, rubbing his knuckles against the ground. Slowly, he stood. He began pacing around. "Why did she leave? Why didn't she come back, even though Angel confirmed that she was close enough to hear us calling her name?"

The seventeen-year-old walked over to a wall, then suddenly punched it as hard as he could. "Why did she abandon us like that?"

"She didn't abandon us!" Angel insisted. "She was trying to protect us!"

_"Protect_ us?" Iggy was shouting now. "She knew that Erasers were in the area, and she left us there to _protect_ us? They almost killed us, Angel!"

Angel flinched, tears welling up in her eyes. Gazzy wrapped an arm around her, exclaiming, "Iggy, calm _down!"_

Iggy began to open his mouth to retaliate, but Nudge began to speak before he could. "Please, Iggy. We just got back together. We should be having fun, telling jokes, catching up with each other-"

"We're not _together,_ Nudge," Iggy snapped. His bitterness was clear in the word 'together.' "Thanks to Max, we probably _won't_ be together ever again, and even if she does come back, it'll never be the same."

"Shut up," Fang said. "We're not your enemies, Iggy. We're your _friends,_ your _family._ And like it or not, Max is too."

Iggy tried to argue, but Fang continued, "And she _was_ just trying to protect us. At least we had each other when we faced Erasers. Imagine how many Erasers she went up against _alone,_ just to separate herself from us. She knew that Itex just wanted her, and that we'd be safe if we weren't with her. The only reason that we're still alive and safe is because _she_ warned me. She cares about us."

Iggy's upper lip curled back in a snarl. "Then why, now that Itex doesn't just want _her_ anymore, isn't she here with us?"

Before anyone could saying anything else, a new voice interjected, "I am."


	11. Ten

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I've just been a little busy lately. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

I was soaking wet, exhausted, starving, and in pain, but how quickly Angel ran to me made me smile. She threw her arms around me, and I couldn't help but notice how much she'd grown in the past few years.

Angel grinned up at me, and I could see the happiness twinkling in her eyes. Just as I began to hug her back, I felt another two arms around me. It was Gazzy.

I wasn't very surprised that these two were the ones that rushed to me. Angel had been the only one who had known that I'd been planning to leave, and she was the first to understand. She had been with Gazzy all these years, so she had probably explained it all to him.

My smile dimmed a little when I looked up at the others. Iggy was obviously angry with me for leaving. The uncertainty on Nudge's face let me know that she, too, had something against me.

Fang was the only other one who didn't resent me. I'd spoken to him about it early yesterday morning; he understood why. He just thought that it had been one of those incredibly stupid decisions that I tended to make.

But it had worked. For three long years, it had worked.

The smile was gone completely when another wave of vertigo hit me. The Erasers hadn't hurt me as much as I'd hurt them, but…they hadn't been too nice.

When the dizziness had cleared, Gazzy and Angel were watching me with worried eyes. Fang's gaze, neutral as ever, was locked on me. Nudge looked confused. Iggy hadn't noticed anything, so he was looking (more or less) at his lap.

I forced a reassuring smile at the group. "I'm fine," I said. "Just a little…" And then the world was spinning violently, much worse than it had since the fight. "…a little…"

And then everything was black.


	12. Eleven

**A/N: Thank you all for the incredibly amazing reviews. I have never received more than twelve reviews on anything I've ever written, and I've only reached twelve once! And now I'm at fifty-six! And remember, criticism and (more) reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

** Wake up, Max.**

I had to stifle a groan. _Voice, Voice, go away, come again another day._

**Wake up, Max.**

The Voice only ever talked to me when I really wasn't in the mood for it. Not only that, but it was annoyingly persistent. _Shut up and let me sleep, kapiche?_

**Wake up, Max.**

I let out a groggy moan as I pushed myself into a sitting position. _Damn you, Voice. Sometimes I _really_ don't like you._

**And vice versa.**

That caught me a little off guard. Usually, the Voice didn't have a sense of humor. That is, if it had been joking.

"Max?" a new voice intruded. The voice was vaguely familiar, but puberty had come and changed it. It took me a moment to pin a face to the voice. When I did, I opened my eyes and smiled at Nudge.

"Good mornin'," I slurred. God, she had grown.

Nudge took me in, studying me with her eyes. "Still sleepy, I guess," she stated. "You were out for quite awhile. You gave us all a scare when you suddenly went from denying anything was wrong to being unconscious in about five seconds." She stood and faced the inside of the cave. "More like good afternoon, by the way. We saved you some breakfast, though."

As she walked over to a brown paper bag to retrieve whatever had been saved for me, I looked around and asked, "Where're the others?"

"Fang and Angel are flying with the hawks," Nudge replied. "Iggy wanted to get familiar with the area, and Gazzy's out with him."

I nodded, and Nudge handed me some fast food straight from the dumpster. I thanked her and wolfed it down gratefully. It was the first thing I'd had to eat since I'd set out to warn Fang, and Jesus Luisus was it good.

Nudge watched me eat unsmilingly.

When I was done, I felt that maternal side of me beginning to take over. "It's been awhile since we talked last, Nudge," I said. "How's your life been going for you lately? I hear a nice family adopted you."

Nudge shrugged. "They're cool," she said, her eyes falling to her lap. "I'm in school, have decent grades. I have two adopted siblings."

That was where she stopped. I tried not to frown as I asked, "Is that so? What're they like?"

"They're okay," Nudge replied quietly.

I frowned. I almost asked Nudge what was wrong, but that was obviously a very stupid question. "I didn't mean to hurt you, honey," I said instead.

Nudge shrugged again. "My adopted family will never be as good as my real one," she murmured. "After you left, we fell apart."

I opened my mouth to reply, but Nudge continued, "After you arrived, Fang and I talked. I can see why you left, and I know that it was only by accident that you hurt us, but…" Her voice trailed off momentarily. It took her a second, but she found it again. "But that doesn't change the fact that you hurt us."

Before I could say anything, I heard two feet land at the edge of the cave. Angel propelled herself into my arms, throwing her arms around me and happily squealing, "Max! Max, you're awake!" She grinned up at me. "I'm glad that you're back, Max. I really, really am."

My heart felt like it was breaking.

I looked over at Fang, who was standing in the entryway of the cave. He smiled at me and said, "Hiya."

I tried to smile back, but as he walked over to me, I only had eyes for Nudge. I mouthed the word, 'Sorry.'

She nodded and mouthed, 'I know.'


	13. Twelve

**A/N: No unnecessary author's notes here, so…remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

_Twinkle, twinkle little star,_ I hummed as I watched the twinkling stars in the sky. I was leaning against the wall of the cave, one of my legs dangling over the edge of the ledge. _How I wonder what you are?_

The others were sleeping. Iggy had one of his arms draped over Angel, and her face was nestled against his chest; Gazzy was using Nudge's stomach as a pillow; and Fang rested flat on his back, arms and legs sprawled. I was the only one awake, and though we hadn't really kept watch back in the good ol' days, Fang and I agreed that it was a good idea to do so now.

_Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky…_

I rested my head against the wall of the cave. I wasn't anywhere near tired; being constantly on the run helped my body get used to maybe five hours of sleep, and, let me tell you, I'd been on the run for a long time.

_Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are?_

I heard someone stir from inside the cave. It was Iggy. I'd forgotten how sensitive his ears were, and I hoped that I hadn't woken him up with my humming.

But Iggy relaxed, rolling onto his back so that Angel's head now rested on his shoulder.

Keeping myself from sighing, I returned my gaze to the sky. Gazzy and Angel had been so ecstatic about my return, Fang had been happy enough to grin (which meant that he was ecstatic, too), and at least I knew that Nudge still cared about me. Iggy, though… When he and Gazzy had returned, he'd treated me with such apathy. The only sign he had given of even acknowledging my presence was a cold, blind glare.

_I didn't want to leave,_ I thought for the millionth time, _but I had to._

Iggy just couldn't understand that, though. Or maybe he did understand and just didn't believe it.

I hoped that I could make it up to him, to all of them. Angel, Gazzy, and Fang had been so forgiving, Nudge was at least trying, and I guess that I couldn't blame Iggy for not showing the same effort. Maybe I'd spend the whole day tomorrow playing games with them, talking to them, sharing jokes, doing whatever I could to make them smile.

I knew that it wouldn't be enough, though.

Sighing quietly, I climbed to my feet. Fang and I hadn't discussed it, but after they had all gone to sleep, an idea had popped into my head. I wasn't just going to stand guard; I was going to patrol a little, too. That way, I'd be able to see any attackers before they were close enough to do any damage.

I unfurled my wings and jumped off the ledge. For one beautiful moment, I was falling, wind whistling in my ears, hair whipping across my back.

Then, in another beautiful moment, I was flying. Even after all these years, the feeling of a take-off just never got old.

I wasn't even to the other side of the lake when a hand grabbed the back of my windbreaker, and Iggy's sharp voice hissed, _"Where're you going?"_


	14. Thirteen

**A/N: You guys make me REALLY, REALLY happy! Thank you for all the great reviews! And remember (though you haven't seemed to have been forgetting), criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Despite Iggy's tone, his face was full of fear.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

He thought I'd been leaving again.

The hawks were beginning to circle around us, but I didn't pay any attention to them. Without even really thinking about it, I pulled him into a hug. Hugging someone and trying to stay airborne at the same time wasn't all that easy, but I held Iggy close, murmuring, "Don't worry, Iggy. I'm sorry I scared you. I was just going out to patrol, I swear. I was going to come back."

He was trembling slightly. After a moment, he pulled away from me. "Let me come with you," he said.

I recognized that tone of voice. He wasn't requesting; he was ordering.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You'll be getting less sleep, and after Fang's watch, I think he's going to wake you up."

Iggy waved this idea aside. "Blind guy on watch? Don't think so. He'll wake up Nudge. Just let me come with you, got it?"

I nodded slowly. After I remembered that he couldn't see, I opened my mouth to respond, but Iggy cut me off. "I heard you nod, Max. My ears have gotten better over the past three years."

"Really?" I asked, impressed. "That's pretty c-"

"Just patrol," Iggy interrupted. "I'll follow you."

So I did. With the hawks following, I flew over the treetops, scanning the ground for any sign of an Eraser. I knew that Iggy was keeping his ears open for any kind of suspicious sound whatsoever. I couldn't help but make a face. We were securing the fort. Just like the good ol' days, huh?

I didn't see anything, and I guessed that Iggy hadn't heard anything. We turned and headed back. "When we get back," I called over to Iggy, "I'm gonna stay outside of the cave for a little longer, okay? Just a final quick-see around the area."

The only reply was silence.

I couldn't ignore the cold emanating from Iggy. Hoping to get him to say something, _anything,_ I asked, "So how's your life been lately, Ig?"

Iggy didn't reply. I sighed.

"You can't ignore me forever. You're the one that wanted to be my company," I pointed out.

At that, Iggy made a face. "I didn't necessarily come to be your company," he replied.

My eyes fell to the ground. I knew that he had only come to make sure I wasn't leaving.

We landed beside the lake. I gazed out at the blue surface, glowing in the light of the stars and the moon. The light glimmered across it, and I couldn't help but think, _Twinkle, twinkle, little star._

A star had five points…and I felt like the useless sixth. The outsider.

Pursing my lips, I looked down at my feet. After a moment, I looked into Iggy's pale, faded blue eyes. "Iggy, please try to understand-"

"Understand _what?"_ The ice in his voice was unmistakable. "Understand that you left to protect us from Itex? Understand that you were making a sacrifice to make sure we were safe?" A snarl crept across his lips. "I _understand_ that, Max. I just can't believe that you _had_ to do it."

I flinched slightly, but I couldn't blame Iggy for his anger. I'd hurt him, and if there were two things someone should know about Iggy, they're 1) he doesn't like to be hurt, and 2) he isn't the type to just forgive and forget.


	15. Fourteen

**A/N: Sorry for such a late update. I'm **_**really**_** beginning to think that I'm getting writer's block. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

_"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUUP, MAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!"_

When this is what you wake up to, it's hard not to just strangle people. Trust me, it's even worse than having a nagging voice in the back of your head.

_"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUUP, MAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!"_

I groaned and covered my ears. Gazzy kept shaking me with all the enthusiasm he had had as an eight-year-old. Before he could yell 'wake up, Max' again, I shoved him onto his back and rolled over on top of him, trapping him on the ground. He squealed and struggled, but I happily began to fall asleep again.

**Wake up, Max! Wake up, Max! Wake up, Max!**

My eyes snapped open. _Voice?_

**Nope, Max, I'm even better! Wake up, Max!**

Angel. Since when was she as annoying as Gazzy?

**Since I've spent the last three years with him. Now, wake up! Fang and Nudge are gonna be back any minute with breakfast, and we were put in charge of waking you up! Now, wake up, Max! Wake up, Max!**

I felt two small hands roll me off of Gazzy, and then both of the children were shaking me. I moaned, "Leave me 'lone…"

_"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUUP, MAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!"_

**Wake up, Max! Wake up, Max! Wake up, Max!**

_"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUUP, MAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!"_

**Wake up, Max! Wake up, Max! Wake up, Max!**

Best damn alarm clocks in the world, I tell you.

Maximum Ride isn't the type of girl to just give up, but when it comes to buggers as persistent as mine are, there's really no other option. Groaning, I got into a sitting position, pushing the eleven-year-old and the nine-year-old away.

When I opened my bleary eyes, I mumbled, "Werz Iggy?" He was the only one unaccounted for.

"Flying with the hawks," Gazzy replied indifferently. "He said he has to think about a few things, and after making Angel swear she wouldn't read his mind, he went out and started flying with the hawks."

I'd bet all my life's savings (if I had any) that I knew what Iggy was thinking about.

Pursing my lips, I quickly changed to another subject, just in case Angel decided to read my mind.

"So what's for breakfast?" I asked.

"Who knows?" Angel asked. "I hope Fang and Max found a good fast food restaurant, though! Maybe they can go back to the one they were at yesterday? Nudge said that she and Fang found a fast food restaurant when you guys were trying to save me from the school way back when." Then, her eyebrows furrowed. "Speaking of the school, how'd you know that we were all in trouble, anyway?"

I groaned, massaging my temples. "Angel," I said, "I can understand why you were being as annoying as Gazzy. You were stuck with him for three years. But _why_ are you suddenly as talkative as Nudge?"

Angel giggled and shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I'm just really happy that we're all back together. But how _did_ you know?"

"The Voice," I replied easily. "Sometimes, it really can be a help instead of a little, nagging hindrance."

Gazzy asked, "So that voice thing-a-ma-jig is still with you, huh?"

"I can't believe it either, kiddo," I said, and I couldn't help but return his grin.

Before anyone could say anything else, a cry of _"Breeeeeaaaaakfaaaaaast!"_ shot into the cave, along with a blur of brown skin and tawny feathers. Nudge landed easily, tossing us each a few burgers. Fang and Iggy came in, and we all gathered in a circle to enjoy our grub.

Around a mouthful of meat, cheese, and bun, Angel said, "So, Max, I've been thinking, it's been such a long time since we've all been together." She swallowed the food in her mouth. "I was hoping that maybe today we could all go out and explore. Maybe play some games while we're at it?"

I made a face. Even though I'd been considering the idea myself, the last time Angel had asked me a let's-do-something-ever-so-innocent question, Erasers had dropped from the sky and stuffed her in a bag. Could I risk something like that happening again?

When I saw two pairs of hopeful eyes and three pairs of enthusiastic ones, I realized I could.

"Sure," I told Angel with a smile.


	16. Fifteen

**A/N: I think that my writer's block is ending! Hurray! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

I could tolerate having a day solely dedicated to fun. I could tolerate flying miles and miles away from the cave so that we could have a new area to explore. I could even tolerate Angel begging me to let us go to Dr. Martinez's soon to pick up Total.

But hide-and-seek? I was pretty sure that I wasn't _that_ nice.

Angel had her arms locked around my waist, pleading. Gazzy and Nudge were literally on their knees in front of me, begging. Even Fang shrugged at me. I think that Iggy was the only one who wasn't totally against me, because he didn't respond.

Of course, being me, I gave in.

"Okay." Before they could cheer, I continued, "But we have to be in pairs. I don't want anyone getting hurt or snatched. If we're going to be separated, it's best that we're separated in pairs."

There never was a doubt on who was going to be with who. The order in which we were usually paired was natural; it had started on who shared a cage with who back in the school.

Angel and I were "it." Before we could argue, Gazzy and Iggy were long gone, and Fang and Nudge were already out of sight. So, reluctantly, we began to count down from fifty. Fifty, forty-nine, forty-eight…

The second zero was out of my mouth, Angel practically screamed, "Ready or not, here we come!" And we were off.

It didn't take long before we were prowling, our ears concentrated on any snap of a twig, any rustling of leaves. **I hope we find Nudge and Fang first,** Angel said telepathically. **Nudge is wearing heels, so it won't be hard to chase her, and Fang never leaves anyone behind, even if it's just a game.**

I couldn't help but smile. _And then there's the fact that Iggy has freakish hearing._

Angel giggled. **Yeah. That too.**

We continued on wordlessly for a few minutes before Angel excitedly exclaimed, **I think I feel a presence! More than one, I think!**

I grinned. Sometimes, Angel could be just as dangerous as Iggy in a game of hide-and-seek.

Angel suddenly stopped in her tracks. I stopped and gazed at her in confusion, but she just closed her eyes and gave me a small smile.

Then, her eyes snapped open, and she stated, "I knew it! I feel people nearby!" She closed her eyes again as she concentrated. "One…two…" The smile turned to a grin. "…three…four…" After a moment of silence, the grin suddenly melted from Angel's face.

"…five…six…_seven_…"

The prickly feeling at the back of my neck was unnecessary. I already knew what was going on.

My eyes went wide. I felt a hand lock onto my own, and I looked down to see Angel's frightened eyes scanning the trees. She was trembling slightly, and she leaned against me.

**Erasers,** she said. **I can hear their thoughts. They can see us.**

I pursed my lips and swallowed thickly. _How many, Angel?_

There was silence for a moment. Angel usually wasn't stupid enough to waste time on hesitations, so that was when I knew that it was bad.

**Lots,** she finally replied.

And that was when I heard Nudge's scream in the distance.


	17. Sixteen

**A/N: I ahve three things to say: 1) I'm really sorry for this late interview, 2) even though this isn't the best of chapters..., and 3) GO SAINTS! Oh, and a fourth: Remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Right now, Gazzy was thanking God that Iggy had great hearing.

Iggy had heard the Erasers long before Gazzy could've felt that tingling feeling. Now, Iggy had Gazzy's wrist in a death grip, and he was dragging the eleven-year-old across a clearing.

Gazzy had just been about to shout at Iggy that he had to slow down so that Gazzy could guide him, they heard Nudge's scream.

They froze, and their heads snapped around to face where the scream had come from.

Gazzy turned to look at Iggy. He had noticed that Iggy's hearing had gotten much better over the years, and now once Iggy heard something, he could immediately pinpoint its location and keep it locked in his memory.

After licking his suddenly parched lips, Gazzy asked, "Iggy, you've still been making bombs, right?"

"Of course," Iggy replied, just as a pack of Erasers barreled into sight. Immediately, the duo was on the move again, racing in the direction of Nudge's scream.

* * *

Escaping Erasers wasn't so hard for a girl who possesses the power of super speed.

I was carrying Angel so that I could be sure that she was still with me. She had her eyes closed, and she was concentrating, searching for any sign of the others.

**I feel Fang and Nudge now,** she said after a while. **They're still pretty far away, but with your speed, we'll be there in no time. Nudge is okay, and so is Fang. They're running from Erasers.**

All but that last little bit was reassuring. "Good job," I told her. A second later, I barely managed to duck before getting a branch to the face.

The only bad thing about super speed was that it wasn't like it was in comic books. Unlike in the world of Marvel and DC, the speeder went at a normal pace while the world around her slowed down. In real life, the world kept on as normal. The speeder was given the unlucky job of trying to find obstacles a second before they crashed into her, then dodging them.

**We're almost there,** Angel said.

* * *

Fang had had one arm tight around Nudge as they searched the trees for Erasers. When Nudge felt a clawed hand come down on her shoulder, natural instinct had led her to screaming.

That was when the fight broke out.

As Fang wrestled with the Eraser that had attacked Nudge, another one charged at him. Nudge intercepted him with a strong kick to the side of the head. Despite what Max and Fang had said about worrying about heels in fights, they weren't always so bad.

An Eraser rushed at Nudge. She waited until he was right beside her before crouching down and launching herself sideways. Her shoulder crashed into his chest, sending him flying backwards.

Then, Fang had her wrist, and they were running. To avoid a sprained ankle, Nudge kicked off the heels.

"I see you've become a better fighter," he commented.

Despite the maddening tingle in her spine and the adrenaline singing in her veins, Nudge smirked a rather Fang-ish smirk. "Have to keep the guys at bay somehow," she replied.

Fang gave her a sideways glance, returning the smirk, before suddenly grasping Nudge's arm and yanking her to a halt.

Gazzy did the same to Iggy.

"You guys are okay." Gazzy breathed a sigh of relief.

Iggy made a face. "Yeah, and though that's all fine and dandy, Erasers are approaching from behind _you_ and from behind _us."_

"Yeah, so c'mon!" Nudge turned left and ran.

That hadn't even been running for a minute when Iggy exclaimed, "They're gaining!"

Fang had to bite his bottom lip to keep from swearing. Despite the fact that they could easily outrun normal humans, they had never been a match for Erasers. _We're in trouble,_ he thought. _We don't know where Angel and Max are, the Erasers are faster than us, they're hell-bent on either catching or killing us, we - WHAT THE HELL?!_

All of a sudden, Fang found a startled Angel in his arms. He was caught so off-guard that he almost dropped her.

Max's shout of _"Giddy-up, horsie!"_ explained all.

A disbelieving look was on Gazzy's face as he said, "She's…she's _riding_ an _Eraser."_


	18. Seventeen

**A/N: Saints won! Woot! Plus, the writer's block is officially over, and I'm so close to my hundredth review! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Lo and behold, I was indeed riding an Eraser.

The thrill of it only lasted a minute, though, and I was catapulted into the air by an especially strong buck. It wasn't high enough for me to snap out my wings, so I simply landed in a kneeling position.

My knee throbbed, but I forced myself to my feet.

Problem number one: My knee hurt like the dickens.

Problem number two: A fair sized wall of Erasers now separated me from the rest of the flock.

Problem number three: The Eraser I'd been playing rodeo with was now glaring at me with an enraged, bloodthirsty glower.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best idea I'd ever had. Sue me.

Before I could offer an apology, Fang charged right through the center of the wall in his best attempt to scatter them. He barely made it, but the opening was wide enough for me to grab Fang's wrist and zoom through.

When we were by the others a millisecond later, Fang stumbled. "I forgot you had super speed for a moment there," he said.

It was a very, very poor attempt at humor. To save him from criticism, I reminded the group, "Erasers."

"Right," Nudge agreed, and we took off. I hated the fact that I couldn't use my speed, but I couldn't just leave the others behind.

In no time flat, the Erasers had caught up, and then we were in a fight.

Quickly, the six of us were separated. "Damn!" I hissed as I sped around, searching for any sign of the others. The first I saw was Iggy.

Iggy was wrestling with an Eraser. His blind eyes were narrowed in a glare, and I saw him hike up a knee and slam his foot into the Eraser's chest. Iggy stumbled from the amount of power he had to put into the kick, and the Eraser went sailing backwards.

Before Iggy had enough time to dodge, another Eraser had pounced on him.

His pained scream was enough for the rest of us to freeze.

The moment of weakness lasted only a minute. I prepared myself to speed over to him, but Nudge beat me to the punch.

She lunged at the Eraser that had hurt Iggy. With amazing strength, she hurled him into the Eraser that Iggy had kicked. With yelps, the two were sent rolling.

Another Eraser came her way. I dodged a swipe from my own opponent and opened my mouth to shout a warning. Before I could, Nudge had whipped around to face him, and she dropped to her knees to avoid the lunge. Right when he was above her, Nudge delivered two quick, powerful punches to his chest, successfully knocking the breath out of him.

As I watched a snarl come across her lips, I remembered a screaming, crying girl being thrown into a tree. I remembered a shrieking, sobbing girl being dragged from the back of a van. I found it hard to believe that I was watching that same girl take on three Erasers within seconds of each other.

And she was winning.

There was something in her eyes that I didn't recognize and didn't like.

She reminded me of…well, me.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a strong weight suddenly crashing into me. Before I could regain myself, a clawed hand had cuffed me across the cheek.

Just as I began to fight back, the Eraser was yanked off and thrown away. Fang, ever my savior, pulled me to my feet.

I quickly surveyed the situation. Thanks to Angel's powers, she and Gazzy were safe for the time being, but the rest of us weren't faring so well. Iggy was trying to fight an Eraser while clutching his wounded shoulder, Nudge was completely circled, and Fang and I were quickly drawn back into the fight.

Before I knew it, I was back-to-back with Fang.

"Run?" I asked quietly, and he nodded.

At that, I shouted, "West!"

The Erasers expected us to run west. We managed to dodge our way through surprised wolfmen as we booked it east.

_Clearing, clearing,_ I prayed. Thankfully, Lady Luck was loving us for a nice change, and we came across a small clearing.

"U and A!" I shouted. "U and A!"


	19. Eighteen

**A/N: I HAVE OVER ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY RIGHT NOW! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Angel and Nudge were the first ones in the air.

Gazzy grabbed Iggy's sleeve to help direct him, but they weren't quite quick enough. Before they could jump into the air, Erasers had tackled them both, separating them and pinning them to the ground.

Fang and I looked at each other.

Fang jumped on the one holding Gazzy while I yanked the one on Iggy backwards. "Hurry!" I heard Fang shout at Gazzy.

Gazzy rushed by, grasped Iggy's wrist, and then the two were in the sky.

As Fang and I finished off the Erasers that had attacked Iggy and the Gasman, I quickly realized that we were swiftly being surrounded. "Fang, we need to go!" I shouted, and he gave a curt nod.

Fang and I snapped out our wings. We both jumped up and quickly began to flap, trying to increase our altitude. Fang just barely got out of Erasers' reach in time. I, however, was not as lucky.

A clawed hand grasped my ankle, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground.

Before I could regain myself, my other cheek was sliced open, my windbreaker was torn, and I had a mouth full of blood.

"Shit!" I screamed, struggling against the Eraser. I wasn't strong enough, though, and two furry hands wrapped around my throat.

_He's going to kill me._

I struggled, but it was no use. His hands tightened. I couldn't breathe, and although we had big lungs and air sacs, I soon found the world spinning away from me.

This big brute was going to kill me. The one thing that no gun, no weird mutant, no wackjob, and no explosive pizza had managed before. This Eraser, this _simple Eraser,_ was going to kill me!

_Konk!_

Or not.

The second the rock collided with the back of the Eraser's head, I could've sworn I heard the birdies chirping. Stars circled around his head, and he fell to the side.

I wasted no time in jumping to my feet. I looked up to see that Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel were swooping down, scooping up rocks, and pelting Erasers. Nudge had been the one who delivered the blow, and I waved my thanks. Her reply was, _"Max, get outta there!"_

Before I could, another Eraser came at me.

Then, all of a sudden, he froze. He and four others turned towards the rest of the Erasers and began to attack their own comrades.

Angel, the little mind-controlling she-devil. You just had to love her sometimes.

_"Go!"_ I heard Fang shout at the others. _"Hurry! GO!"_

I smiled. At least the others would be safe. What I heard next wiped the smile from my face.

"No!" Angel yelled, just as a sixth Eraser had a change of heart.

"If Angel's staying, so am I," Gazzy added.

"We can't just leave you all," Nudge chimed in, gesturing to herself and Iggy.

My eyes widened. I was frozen until an Eraser tried to catch me off-guard. He tried to grab the back of my head. I tilted my head to the side, snatched his wrist, and with plenty of effort, swung him over my shoulder. God, he weighed a _ton!_

As if to make my day even worse, Fang dropped down beside me. He had been in the _freaking air,_ and he came back down.

"What're you doing?!" I all but shrieked at him. "Go! Take the others and get out of here!" I slammed a sneaker into an Eraser's nose, then brought my elbow back into another's mouth. "Get the hell out, Fang!"

And yet he didn't listen. Why did that not surprise me?

Before I knew it, we were back-to-back.

I stood there, fuming. They were _all still here. _God, the idiots!

"We're not idiots!" Angel suddenly screamed at me. "We just love you!"

Fang gave a single nod, and I heard him say, "Yeah."

At that, I almost smiled.

Then, the Erasers were on us.


	20. Nineteen

**A/N: No unnecessary author's notes for this chapter, so…remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Fang and I were separated in no time.

Then, two Erasers were on me. I tried to fight back, but I couldn't. They had me.

Pain seared through my shoulder, my face, my chest, and just about everywhere else the Erasers could get at me. It wasn't long before the pain began to fade away, and I immediately knew that that wasn't a good sign.

_No. I can't let them kill me. No…damn it…!_

But I had no choice in the matter. I lost the strength to fight back, and I just lied there as they sliced away.

Strangely enough, I remembered that night I had been standing guard. I had jumped out of the cave, and Iggy had caught me. Though he would never admit it, he had been so scared that I was going to leave them all again.

When I hugged him, what was it I told him?

_"Don't worry, Iggy. I'm sorry I scared you."_

Oh, god. I felt tears sting my eyes as I remembered.

_"I was going to come back."_

Hadn't I promised myself that I would make it up to them? That I would never leave them again? If I just let these Erasers kill me…I'd be leaving them. I would never forgive myself, and I didn't think that they would forgive me, either.

I couldn't leave them. Not again.

With this thought in mind, I fought back. My sudden struggles caught the Erasers off-guard, and I managed to punch the one straddling me in the face before either could regain themselves.

I managed to climb to my feet. The two came at me again, but I spun out of the way of their attacks. I kicked one in the groin and elbowed the other in the nose.

Number one was down, clutching where the sun don't shine, but number two was far from out. He charged at me, and I barely managed to get out of the way in time.

_God…I'm too tired. If he knocks me down again, I won't be able to get back up. I just won't._

And just when I was sure I was going down, Fang appeared out of nowhere, ramming his shoulder into the Eraser's side. I watched as Fang quickly subdued the Eraser.

When he was done, Fang whirled to face me, his black hair whipping around him. He mouthed my name, though I'm sure that he must've shouted it.

I smiled. "Fang…thanks," I choked out before collapsing.

Immediately, Fang was kneeling down beside me, his hands on my shoulders, shaking me and trying to keep me conscious. An Eraser grasped his shoulders and yanked him backwards, but Fang quickly freed himself. He scooped me into his arms and swiftly jumped into the sky.

I wasn't looking at Fang, though. Something above the chaos caught my eye.

Iggy.

He was zooming around nearby, and I couldn't help but think, _What's that idiot doing?! He doesn't know the area, and he doesn't have a guide…!_

Suddenly, Iggy froze. "Are Max and Fang far enough away?" he yelled.

"Yeah!" I heard Gazzy reply.

Just like that, I saw Iggy reach into his pocket and extract something. Before I could see what it was, he dropped it.

_What was that?_

_** BOOM!**_

All of my questions were answered as half of the remaining Erasers were caught up in an explosion. The force of it sent Fang pinwheeling through the sky. He quickly regained himself, looked down at me, and asked, "Are you okay?"

I didn't reply. I saw Angel's face come into my vision, then Nudge's, Gazzy's, and, finally, Iggy's.

_I'm sorry, Iggy._ _I don't want to leave…but I'm not so sure I have a choice…again. Pretty ironic, huh?_

And then everything was black.


	21. Twenty

**A/N: Great reviews! I see a lot of people are concerned for Max's safety. That makes me smile. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

When I woke up, the first thing my mind processed was that I was lying on a cold, hard floor. I kept my eyes closed, so as not to warn anyone of my consciousness.

I couldn't smell any anti-septic, but I was positive that I was in the school or some other Itex-sponsored nuthouse. The last thing I remembered of the fight was that we had won…so how did this happen?

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tried to stay as limp as I possibly could as I was raised to a sitting position.

The rim of a bottle was placed against my bottom lip. Whoever was by me wedged the rim between my lips and began to pour something into my mouth.

The whitecoats were forcing me to drink something.

Immediately, it began to slip down my throat. Involuntarily, I gagged and spat out whatever had been dumped in my mouth. I coughed so hard that my throat began to ache, and I felt a hand thumping against my back.

"Calm down," a gentle voice spoke in my ear. Iggy! "It's just juice."

My eyes shot open and immediately focused on his blue eyes. Concern was etched across his face. "How're you feeling?" he asked when I finally stopped coughing.

Without replying, I looked around to see that I was in the cave. "Where are the others?" I rasped.

"Fang, Nudge, and Angel went after breakfast," Iggy replied. "I think that Gazzy needed some time to think. He's out flying with the hawks." He held out the bottle of juice. "Drink this. You lost a lot of blood in that fight, and although I can't say for sure, I think juice helps with that kind of problem."

I took the juice and downed it in one mouthful. It felt good on my parched throat.

Iggy sighed quietly as he ran a hand through his shaggy, strawberry-blonde hair. "Angel was reading everyone's mind during the battle," he began tentatively. "She…she told me what you were thinking when…when those Erasers had you pinned." He scratched the side of his neck, a sure sign that he was feeling uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Max," he continued. "I shouldn't have held it against you. Even though Nudge wasn't the happiest, either, I'm the only one that wouldn't let it go. I feel horrible. I'm…I'm really sorry, Max."

His voice had begun to quiver about halfway through. As I looked closer, I noticed that he was trembling. I tried to say something to comfort him, but he would have none of it.

"You almost _died._ God, I felt so awful. I was so scared that I'd…that I'd never get the chance to apologize for that. I was scared that you were going to die, Max. I really was."

I thought I saw tears welling up in his pale blue eyes.

"Iggy-"

"Hang on. Just…just let me get this out, okay?" Iggy said. His voice was bordering sobs.

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

Iggy swallowed thickly before going on, "When Angel said that we all loved you too much to leave, she really meant all of us, you know. When you were shouting at us to leave, to leave you behind, I realized just how wrong I was to be mad at you. I…I was going to apologize as soon as the fight was over, but then…but then those Erasers tore you up…god, I don't think that I could've dropped that bomb quick enough. I'm sorry, Max."

The first tear broke through as he finished, "I'm really, really sorry."

For a moment, all I could do was stare. Then, I reached forward, wrapped my arms around him, and pulled him into a hug.

"Don't be," I said, and before I knew it I could feel tears of my own. "For awhile there, I was scared that you hated me, but now I know better."

I heard Iggy sniffle. "I was just mad," he murmured. "I'm not angry anymore. I…I never hated you. I've just been upset because you left us without even a word, thinking that we weren't fully willing to go through all that just to stay with you. It was just like you didn't realize how much we _all_ love you."

I felt the warm tears streak down my face.

"I'm sorry about that, Iggy, I really am. I'm here now, though. I'm here now, and I'm never gonna leave you all again, I swear it."


	22. Twenty One

**A/N: Here's a chapter dedicated to something I know you've been waiting for: Fax. I'm not good at romance stuff, so I guess I really need the criticism for this one. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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"Are we interrupting something?"

Fang's voice startled us both. Iggy and I immediately dried our faces. "No," I said, quickly regaining myself. "Ig and I just had a little talk. So, why'd you come back empty-handed?" I replied.

Fang looked down at his empty hands before refocusing his dark, gorgeous eyes on me. "The kids decided they wanted a picnic by the lake," he replied easily. "Wanna come?"

Iggy nodded, and I said, "Sure!" I stood and stretched my wings, only to wince in pain and refold them.

"An Eraser got your wing pretty good," Fang explained as he approached me. "Go on ahead, Iggy."

Iggy did as he was told, and then I was alone with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome.

"We were all pretty worried, y'know," he told me.

I smiled. "Since when are you so talkative?"

Fang gave me a look. After a moment, it melted away, and he said, "Next time, don't tell us all to run away. You know we care too much about you." Slowly, he walked closer to me until I could feel his breath on my cheek. "You know how much I care about you."

Did I kick Eraser ass whenever confronted with such an option? Was I a lean, mean, killing machine when my flock was in danger? Were many people afraid of me? Did my heart melt to a puddle at my feet, and did I blush like a little school girl when Fang kissed me?

You guess the answers.

Kissing Fang felt really great, except for the insane urge to get as far away from him as possible. I still wondered what was with those contradicting emotions.

When we finally broke the kiss, Fang whispered in my ear, "I love you _thiiiiis_ much."

I felt my face heat up, and I hid my face against his chest. You see why I hate Valium so much?

Fang chuckled. It was a sweet, almost melodic sound, and I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me. "You know," he said, "we should really be getting down to that picnic."

"I know," I replied. "Just let me savor the moment."

He laughed again. I'd never heard him laugh twice within a thirty-second time period. "Since when did you get so corny?" he asked.

"About the same time you got so talkative," I answered. I looked up at him. He was grinning down at me.

After another kiss, Fang said, "C'mon, before the others start getting nosy." Just like a knight in shining armor, he scooped me up into his arms, bridal-style. As he jumped out of the cave and spread his wings, I leaned against him, resting my head against his chest, listening to the calming thu-thump of his heart.


	23. Twenty Two

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I've been a little caught up with other things, like my story on FictionPress. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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_"GAZZY!"_ I shrieked as loud as I could.

The picnic had been fun. When we had finished eating, Gazzy, Nudge, Iggy, and Angel had shot up into the sky.

For the longest time, it had just been a day to kick back in relax. I was leaning against Fang with his arm wrapped around my shoulder, and we were watching the others as they grinned, giggled, laughed, and chased each other around. We had actually been having a good time.

But of course that didn't last.

The peace was shattered the second Gazzy suddenly started screaming, clutching his head. His wings folded in, and he dropped like a rock.

Fang reacted quicker than any of the rest of us. Angel, Iggy, and I were frozen, and Nudge was too far away to reach him in time.

Fang launched into the air, his dark ponytail whipping out in the wind behind him. He caught Gazzy in his outstretched arms, then quickly turned and brought him back to me.

"Gazzy?" I asked as the others quickly made their ways toward us.

Either Gazzy didn't hear me, or he was in too much pain to respond. He writhed in Fang's arms, shrieking like a banshee.

After landing beside me, Angel grabbed Gazzy's face in her hands. He tried to recoil from the touch, but Angel held tight. After a moment, she released him and fixed blue, frightened eyes on me. "I can't get into his head," she whimpered. "It's…it's just a big, blank nothing."

For a moment, we all stared at Angel with big eyes.

Then, realizing just how horrible this situation could turn out, I wrapped my arms around Gazzy. I tried to hold him still as I said, "Calm down, Gazzy, calm down! We're here! Can you hear me? Say so if you can hear me!"

Gazzy didn't say anything. He violently tried to get away from Fang and me, but we didn't let go.

Tears were beginning to leak from the eleven-year-old's eyes. I felt my heart clench in pain.

Terror wouldn't describe the situation. What was going on?

I opened my mouth to speak again. Before I could, a voice, clear as a bell, spoke into my mind.

**Now do you see why, Max?**

I froze, my breath catching in my chest. _Voice?! Voice, what the HELL is going on?! What're you doing to Gazzy?!_

Doing my best to ignore Angel's wide eyes fixed on me, I clutched Gazzy tighter. Nudge's hands appeared out of nowhere and grasped the sides of Gazzy's head, keeping it still so that he couldn't hurt himself.

**Answer my question, and I'll answer yours, Max. Now do you see why Itex wants you all so badly?**

Angel's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. I flashed her a glance before returning my focus to Gazzy and the Voice.

_No!_ I screamed in my head. _No! I don't! Now tell me, what's wrong with Gazzy?!_

**Nothing's wrong with him. This day is programmed into his DNA.**

My heart practically stopped in my chest. When I finally regained myself, I all but screeched, _"Nudge, let me see the back of his neck!"_

Nudge seemed to immediately understand what I meant. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she gently forced Gazzy's head to the side. I almost cried with relief when I didn't see a barcode.

**He's going to be okay. Just give it a few moments.**

_How do you know?!_ I shrieked. _How do you KNOW?!_

There was a long moment of silence, and just when I was certain that the Voice wasn't going to answer, it said, **That's for me to know and you to find out.**

I was about to scream in frustration when Gazzy suddenly went limp in our arms. He silenced almost immediately. After a few seconds, his tear-filled eyes opened.

"Max?" he whispered weakly. "Max…what…what happened?"

I wished I had an answer to that.


	24. Twenty Three

**A/N: Sorry for the really late update, but I've been pretty busy. Busy like you wouldn't believe. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Immediately, we had gathered around in the safety of the cave.

Gazzy was still pretty pale. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he was leaning heavily against me, and I was at least thankful that he had stopped shaking.

"Something…something…," Gazzy murmured for the thousandth time.

"Something what?" Fang asked for the thousandth time. I was still amazed how he could go from a vicious warrior to a gentle caretaker.

I looked at Angel hopefully. She looked at me with worried, frightened eyes. Slowly, she shook her head. **Something's not right, Max. I'm beginning to hear some thoughts now, but they're really faint and fuzzy.**

Suddenly, Gazzy's eyes opened. He looked around at all of us with a look so serious it frightened me. "When I was up in the air," he said, "something happened. One minute I was racing Angel, the next I was…I don't know where I was. Some sort of lab, I think."

Lab. That was never good.

"It hurt everywhere. I couldn't even move. But…I saw people. My eyesight was really fuzzy, so I couldn't make out any faces or anything, but I saw two people. They were standing in front of each other, and one was standing with theirs arms spread wide open right in front of me. The other one was right in front of the first one. My hearing was really staticky, and I couldn't hear what was going on…but pretty faintly, I heard a popping sound."

**Max,** Angel's voice suddenly came into my mind, **what's prescience?**

I blinked in surprise. _Prescience…Angel, where'd you get that idea?_

**Fang and Iggy are both thinking about it. What is it?**

I didn't even try to answer. Was this what the Voice had been talking about? I looked down at Gazzy.

Gazzy's eyes fell to his lap, and he slowly shook his head. "I…I just have this feeling." He looked up at me, his big, blue eyes confused and concerned. "Something bad is going to happen, Max. I just know it will."


	25. Twenty Four

**A/N: Sorry for the long, long wait. I had an orchestra concert tonight, I'm having another one tomorrow, I'm spending all my spare time practicing the violin, I have loads of homework, my grandmother died, I was absent on Monday to attend her funeral, I have tons of make-up work for being absent, and I have some really important tests coming up. The person who said, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person," was a liar. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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If anyone had tried to console me by saying, "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing," I would've strangled them.

I'd been living my life long enough to know that nothing was ever just _nothing._ If Gazzy had developed prescience, like Fang, Iggy, and I thought, then it was most definitely _something._

It was night. Nudge was curled up in a ball, snoring, and Angel was curled up beside her older brother. Ever since that scare today, she hadn't stopped worrying about him. None of us had.

Iggy was rolled over on his side, his back to me, but I wasn't so sure that he was asleep. He was probably just eavesdropping on what Fang and I had to say to each other. I didn't have to strength to tell him that you shouldn't listen to other people's conversations, so I just let him listen.

"So what do you think happened in that vision?" I asked. I was leaning against Fang, and his arm was wrapped around my waist.

Fang shrugged. "Two people. Bang. One falls," he said. At my confused gaze, he explained, "One shot the other, most likely."

My heart plummeted into my stomach. "Who do you think it was?" I asked as all the possibilities ran through my mind. "Do you…do you think it could've been one of us?"

Again, Fang shrugged. "I don't know. Gazzy's the one that saw what happened, and he said that his vision was too blurry," he said.

That was true. I sighed, closing my eyes. "It had better not be one of us," I grumbled. Fang only smiled at me. I wasn't sure why, so I just glared in return.

"Relax," Fang told me. "If it was any of us, I'm sure super-duper Max would speed around and disarm the guy before he had the time to say, 'what the hell.'"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "That's true…but…Gazzy did say he saw someone get shot. There's always the chance that I might not have been around to help you guys. And Gazzy said that he was in a lot of pain. What if he was hurt? What if someone was torturing him? What if we get kidnapped, or something like that, and we all get in some serious trouble? What if…"

My voice trailed off as I realized how close Fang's face was getting to mine.

"Like I said," he whispered, his breaths warm against my face, "relax."

He inched closer and closer, and before I knew it, his lips were against mine. Panic and elation sang through my veins, and soon my fingers were intertwined in his hair, his hands were on my lower back…

Angel's young and frightened voice snapped us out of it.

"Guys? Guys, Gazzy's crying."


	26. Twenty Five

**A/N: I didn't edit this chapter before posting it. Haha…I felt too lazy. If you see any errors or typos, don't be hesitant to share. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Fang and I immediately had our eyes on Angel. She was sitting next to Iggy, who was cradling Gazzy in his arms. Gazzy's pale hands were clutching onto Iggy's shirt as if for dear life, and his face was buried in Iggy's chest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rising to my feet. I rushed over to them and placed my hand on Gazzy's back. He was trembling.

"It happened again," Iggy said. "He…he wasn't screaming this time, though. I woke up when I heard him hyperventilating. Angel woke up and tried to get into his head, but she didn't have any luck."

I felt my heart plummet into my stomach. I'd been so busy kissing Fang that I hadn't noticed that Gazzy had been having a panic attack in his sleep. A quick glance at Fang revealed nothing but an unreadable, stony face and dark, guilt-stricken eyes.

"Is it over?" I asked quietly. I was replied by Gazzy's big, blue, tear-filled eyes looking up at me. I could tell that he was ashamed of having such a moment of weakness.

"It's okay, Gazzy," I told him. "Don't worry. Just…tell me what happened this time."

"It wasn't as fuzzy, but it still wasn't clear," he stammered, wiping his eyes. "I was in a lab, definitely a lab. I had that dizzy feeling, the one you get right after you wake up after getting knocked out. My wrists and ankles were strapped down to a cold table. I looked around, and I saw a girl next to me in the same position, and I think it was Angel, though I couldn't be sure."

He squeezed his eyes shut, and I could tell he was trying to pull himself together. He was eleven years old now, though he hadn't changed a bit in the past three years.

"Then I looked up," Gazzy finally continued. "A woman was standing by me. She was a white coat. I couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but I did pick out a few things. She knew my name. After a moment, she leaned real close to me and said something. I got really scared, and I don't know why. Then, I woke up with Iggy and Angel right there."

I nodded slowly as my mind processed these things.

Both of Gazzy's visions had been in a lab. I was really hoping that he hadn't gained the ability of prescience, because if he had, this did not bode well.

Things began to flash through my mind.

_Now do you see why, Max?_ Gazzy screaming, his wings locking in as he fell. Angel not being able to get into his head. _Now do you see why Itex wants you all so badly?_ Gazzy having a panic attack in the middle of the night. _Nothing's wrong with him. This day is programmed into his DNA._

Slowly, things were coming together, like the pieces of a puzzle. God, was I thankful that Angel's mind was focused on Gazzy. I didn't want her to tap into these thoughts.

Gazzy's vision of being in a lab and seeing someone get shot. _Something bad is going to happen, Max._ Gazzy's vision of being tied down to a table in a lab. _I just know it will._

Oh, god. Oh, god, what if Gazzy's prescience was just the first ripple of a wave of new powers for our group? What if Itex knew that this was going to happen, and all of a sudden it wasn't wanted dead or alive? What if they wanted to use things against us and make us use these powers for them? What if they wanted more tests to replicate the powers into more mindless and loyal minions?

I thought of how Fang's dark eyes had been so startled to see me just the other day when I'd been tapping on the window of his foster home. His whispered question after I explained everything to him: _Why is this happening again?_ Then, how we set off after Nudge, him being the one to find her while I held off the Erasers coming after her.

I remembered was Angel thought at me. _Something's not right, Max._

I felt like screaming. What if we were _still_ only at the beginning?

Then, the Voice's last words to me: _That's for me to know and you to find out._


	27. Twenty Six

**A/N: Okay…I'm beginning to focus more on this story, seeing as this school week is dedicated entirely to fun stuff (meaning no homework), and week after next is spring break. I'll probably be updating more often, which is a good thing! Again, I didn't edit this chapter for the exact same reason I didn't edit the last one…but remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

"Is he okay?"

Nudge's voice startled me. I thought she had still been asleep. Instead, as I looked over my shoulder, she as sitting on the cliff of the cave, her eyes scanning the ground for anything unusual.

Gazzy replied for himself. He stood, wiping his face on his windbreaker's sleeve. "I'm fine," he confirmed. "I just…I want to stretch my wings for a bit. Can I go for a walk, Max?"

A walk, of course, meaning a fly. "I think it'd do us all a little good," I said, smiling at him.

"Except for you," Iggy pointed out all of a sudden. I was about to protect when he reminded me, "Your wing is still pretty banged up, Max. I know that fight seemed like it was an eternity ago, but only this morning Fang had to escort you to the ground."

"And I'll escort her again," Fang said. I felt a little weak at that moment, but one glimpse of his small smile made me eager to jump into his arms. I knew that they weren't supposed to, but these kinds of emotions scared me. They really did.

Nudge fell off the edge of the cave, spread her wings, and rose into the sky. Gazzy and Angel jumped off after, then Iggy, then Fang with yours truly in his arms.

**Don't let your guard down, Max,** the Voice suddenly chimed in my head.

I smiled as the wind blew against my face. _Wasn't planning on it,_ I replied. Then, I frowned. _Anyway, what exactly is going on?_

**You've already figured it out, haven't you? That was quite a tempest in your head a few minutes ago. I thought you were going to scream.**

_Haha, very funny. So, you're saying that I'm right? You're saying that we're all going to get captured by Itex, they're gonna drag us to some hellhole to experiment on us, someone's gonna get shot, and something bad is gonna happen? You're saying that we're all in grave danger?_

There was silence from the Voice's end, so I just relaxed against Fang and enjoyed the "walk." I smiled as I watched the others. Nudge was doing barrel rolls, a broad grin stretched across her face; Angel was freefalling, then rising back up, then freefalling again; and Gazzy and Iggy were laughing and racing, so close that the tips of their wings were brushing up against each other.

Fang and I were merely flying along behind them, both of us with smiles on our faces. For once, everything in our world was right.

Of course, right as this thought came to mind, the Voice started up again. **You are a smart girl, Max, but you said that you all would be captured. Well…**

A cold feeling rose in my chest. _Well what?_ I demanded to know.

**Well,** the Voice continued, **not necessarily **_**all**_** of you.**

And as if these were the key words, Angel stopped mid-fall and rose high in the air, screaming, _"Erasers! I don't see them, but I can't feel them! Erasers!"_

There was a faint boom, a swishing sound, and then Gazzy's cry of shock. Then, Gazzy was falling, falling, tangled up in a net that he couldn't get free from.


	28. Twenty Seven

**A/N: I promise you, there's a reason why it's Gazzy, though I'm not saying why yet. Other than that, I'm ecstatic because I'M ALMOST AT MY TWO HUNDREDTH REVIEW! YAY! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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Before anyone had time to worry, Iggy had his fingers locked around the net. Immediately, he was shooting away from the snarls, whipping something from his pocket. I couldn't help but smile when I saw that it was a pocketknife.

Then, I was serious again. Even though there was only a small amount of Erasers (surprisingly, I only counted twelve), four out of the six of us were currently unable to fight. I couldn't fly, Fang was holding me, Gazzy was caught in a net, and Iggy was sawing away at the net.

I began to look towards Angel and Nudge, but they were already on it. Three of the Erasers turned on the others. The others seemed to be expecting this, and the one who I guessed was their leader gave orders for Angel's puppets to be shot down.

That wasn't a great plan. As soon as those three were gone, Angel was focused on another three, successfully leaving only half of the original group.

Nudge had gathered a handful of rocks, and she quickly pelted the Eraser who had the net-launcher. Several rocks to the chest, one to the eye, and one to the nose knocked the launcher from his hands. Nudge didn't let this opportunity go, and she swooped down and scooped it into her hands.

After she figured out where the trigger was and tried a practice shot, an Eraser was bundled up in a net.

_Go Nudge!_ was all I could think.

Angel converted a fourth puppet to our side. By her and Nudge's hands, eight of the twelve were already disabled. A ninth joined them as Nudge netted another wolfman. The only thing we had against us was that the two in nets were using their claws, gradually escaping the traps.

For once, it actually seemed as though we were going to win without any damage done to us.

Of course, right at that moment, they pulled their guns. Why would it be any different?

Nudge barely had time to backpedal and get away before they were firing. Angel's concentration was disrupted as she booked it away from the onslaught, and the three who had been under her control regained themselves.

Fang had also drawn back, but I felt his hold body freeze at my screams.

Iggy was going down, fast.


	29. Twenty Eight

**A/N: Alright, I've gotten so many comments on the shortness of my chapters that I'm going to try and elongate them. I'll try my best at it. Also, it isn't edited…haha, another lazy day. Other than that, I have two things to say: 1) criticism and reviews are always welcome, and 2) TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS! WOOT! THANKS, YOU GUYS!**

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Iggy still had Gazzy. At the last moment, he rolled onto his back with Gazzy on his chest.

Before any of us could do a thing, they hit the ground, and then the Erasers were on them.

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. _No. No, this can't be happening. Not Gazzy, not Iggy, not the Erasers…oh, god. God, please don't let them be dead. Please don't let the Erasers kill them. _Please.

It took me a moment to realize I was screaming and fighting against Fang. He knew that I'd take a hard hit to the ground if I got loose, but he also knew that nothing in hell was going to stop me from trying to protect Gazzy and Iggy. I knew that he wanted to help them, too, so he took us both to the ground.

"You'll get shot," I told Fang the second I was on the ground. "Get back in the air. Grab Angel and Nudge and take cover."

I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was about to tell me that I'd get shot too, but I growled, "Hurry! I'm too fast for the bullets, but you aren't, so get the hell out of dodge!"

And then I was rushing towards Iggy and Gazzy, forcing my legs to take me there as fast as they could. I was on an Eraser's back in a millisecond, locking my arms around his neck and absolutely screaming with fury. For the briefest second, I saw Iggy pale face. He mouthed my name, surprise evident on his face.

Then, I was thrown off of the Eraser's back. He whirled, his gun ready to fire, only to find his gun gone a millisecond later.

It was taking too long just to take out one Eraser. Aside from the one I was facing now, there were eight others. A fact that I was quickly reminded of as two arms suddenly locked around me, holding me still.

My speed was of no use if I couldn't move.

I was going to guess that Fang had followed my orders, grabbed Angel and Nudge, and found a hiding spot, because no one came to my rescue. I was pinned to the ground by my opponent and the one who had sneaked up on me.

Before I knew it, an ugly, sneering face was only inches from my own. I recognized him as the leader, the one who had ordered the Erasers to kill the first three that had come under Angel's control.

I let my eyes flick up and down. I memorized his face: the gold tooth lodged where one of his canines should've been; the hideous scar running down his face, right over one of his eyes; the unfocused appearance of that eye, something that I recognized as blindness; the sharp glint in the other green one; the leering, sneering grin that seemed to be permanently tattooed across his lips.

When this fight was over, I was going to make sure that I beat the daylights out of this one.

Before I could spit in his face, he suddenly pulled back. I knew what he was going to do.

I struggled like I had never struggled before, but it was no use. Soon, claws were being rakes down my legs, deep into the muscles. If I couldn't stand, there was no way I could chase after them. They were wiping out the speed factor.

I heard Gazzy shouting at the Eraser to leave me alone. When the Eraser was done, he laughed at both Gazzy and me.

The Eraser glared down at me. "My name's Bane. Remember it."

When he turned away, the two Erasers holding me followed. Gazzy was still yelling up a storm. With a flick of an Eraser's wrist, the eleven-year-old was tossed into the back of a Humvee. The doors slammed shut, and Gazzy was gone.

My eyes shifted to Iggy. He was struggling like a maniac, but with an Eraser on each arm and each leg, he didn't have a chance. As if he somehow knew what was going through my head, his unseeing eyes suddenly locked perfectly with my brown ones, and he wildly shook his head no.

He was telling me not to come after them. It took me a moment to realize that they had guns and were fully willing to shoot us.

Then, Iggy was dragged into the back of the Humvee. The doors closed, and then the Humvees were driving off.

I could've sworn I saw a blur of black and a light brownish-gold shoot after the Humvee. I focused my raptor vision onto it, but the Humvees had already rounded a corner, leaving my line of vision and taking the blur with it.

My mouth felt like it was full of cotton. I lied there on my stomach, letting the side of my face rest in the soft grass. Suddenly, my vision was blurred with tears. For some reason, I couldn't feel anything. Not the grass beneath me, the stinging in my legs, the biting of the tears in the back of my eyes. Not the rage, the torment, the agony of knowing that two of my _brothers_ were being taken towards a hellhole, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I didn't even feel the scream building up in my lungs, though I knew that it was coming.

_Shock,_ I thought. _I'm in shock._

All of a sudden, a small hand came down on my shoulder. "Max?" Angel's frightened, sob-ridden voice was quivering. "Max, are-are you okay?"

I didn't reply. I knew that Fang must've been inspecting the wounds. I almost yelled at the two to go after Iggy and Gazzy, but I knew that they couldn't. They would've been shot down in a second.

Fang's hands rolled me over onto my back. He scooped one arm beneath me And propped me up into a sitting position. I could see everything in his dark eyes, everything that I should've been feeling. Angel's hand grasped my own, and she buried her face against my shoulder. Her body was shaking with silent sobs.

For the first time, I looked around. "W…where's N-Nudge?" I stammered.

Fang didn't reply, I saw the answer in his face. He didn't know.

That was when the first trickles of terror began to leak through. I yanked my hand away from Angel's and grabbed the front of his windbreaker with both of my hands, growling, "You lost her?! How could you, Fang?! Oh, god, _Nudge…"_

Then, suddenly, I remembered that blur zipping towards the Humvee. Nudge had been wearing black clothing…and her wings were tawny…

The answer hit me like a freight train. At the same exact time, all of the delayed emotions slammed into me, and then I was shrieking, wailing, crying like a little baby. My grip on Fang's windbreaker tightened, and I went limp against him. I could feel my entire body trembling wildly, and I could hear Angel's terrified sobs.

Nudge…she had gone after the Humvees. She had gone after Iggy and Gazzy. As a result, she was going to get shot down, or kidnapped, or God knows what else….

Three flock members. Three flock members, all in one night. All in _ten minutes_…

God, I had come back to the flock to try and protect them. How had things gone so wrong?


	30. Twenty Nine

**A/N: Sorry, but this is going to be a short chapter. I'm having a good day, though. A really, really good day! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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_What am I doing?_

This was the question that kept zipping through Nudge's mind as she clutched to the top of the Humvee. She was flat on her stomach, her skin pressed against the cold metal, and wind was whipping her long hair all over the place.

There were a total of three Humvees and nine Erasers. Nudge guessed that that meant there were three per Humvee. One was driving each, so the rest would have to be in the back. The only questions were, Which Humvee had Iggy? Which Humvee had Gazzy? Which one was empty?

Nudge was shivering, her teeth chattering. Her windbreaker provided minimal warmth, and the wind was biting at her exposed skin. Several times, she had wondered if what she was doing was the right thing to do.

When it came down to it, Nudge hadn't even thought about it. When she had seen Iggy and Gazzy being stuffed into Humvees, she had just shot towards the Humvees like a bullet. It had been an instinct.

Nudge didn't even have a plan. Just like Max, she had charged into something without thinking.

A flitting grin twitched the corners of her lips. _Just like Max._

Max never seemed to let anything bother her. The situation at hand, the number of enemies, the fact that the enemies were armed and she wasn't, the lack of a plan. None of it ever seemed to get to her, even for a second. That was why she always went headfirst into something without thinking.

Nudge wished that she could've been more like Max. If Max was in Nudge's shoes, she wouldn't be over-thinking things. She lived by something that Jeb used to say all the time.

…What was it Jeb used to say?

_If you're about to make your move, but you have time, always remember to calm yourself. A busy mind is a useless one. You have to shut it down. If you have to move fast, it's always better to react than to think. A busy mind will force you to think and will lead to your death._

The voice of a nine-year-old Max drifted into her head. _What's a good way to calm yourself down?_

_Take deep breaths. Not too many, not too few. Ten, at the very least._

Nudge pursed her lips, squeezed her eyes shut, and took in a long breath before slowly letting it out.

_One._

_Clear your mind._

_Two._

_ Don't let yourself think twice about anything._

_ Three._

_ Don't let yourself be afraid._

_ Four._

_ Don't worry if you're doing the right thing or not. _

_ Five._

_ Don't be afraid that you'll fail, that you'll be killed, that Iggy and Gazzy are going to get hurt._

_ Six._

_ Be confident._

_ Seven,_

_ Believe, "They will not get hurt because I will not let them get hurt."_

_ Eight._

_ "I will not die because I won't let them kill me."_

_ Nine._

_ "I will not fail because I won't let them defeat me."_

_ Ten._

Nudge's dark eyes opened. Deep in those pools of ebony, a fire was shining. Smirking, Nudge placed her hands on the Humvee's roof beneath her chest, and she pushed herself into a kneeling position. The hair lashing around in the wind, the smirk, the blazing eyes…Nudge would never know it, but she looked almost like a warrior at that moment.

_Alright,_ she thought. _Here I go._


	31. Thirty

**A/N: Writer's block is returning, so this chapter was just kind of slapped together. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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Despite it all, Iggy was laughing.

His laughter caught the Erasers off-guard, and all Iggy could do was gasp, "That blindfold isn't going to do a thing to me. I'm blind."

To be honest, Iggy wasn't quite sure why he was laughing. After all, he had been kidnapped, the wing that the bullet had sailed through was aching like Billy Ray Cyrus's achy-breaky heart, and the blindfold bit actually wasn't all that funny.

Iggy guessed that it was relief. He was terrified of going back to the school, and once he heard the flapping of wings and two soft footfalls land on the top of the Humvee he was in, relief had washed over him. He could tell by the weight of the footfalls that it was Nudge.

He was worried for her, though. He had noticed that Nudge had become cleverer, stronger, and quicker over the past three years, but none of that meant anything in the fact of a gun. There were two armed Erasers back here with him.

_Don't do anything stupid,_ he silently begged her.

Still, he only laughed.

"Shut up," one of them finally snarled. Iggy heard its clawed hand reaching forward, probably to grasp his throat or the front of his shirt. He tried to get away from it, but this task wasn't easy when you had your hands tied behind your back and your legs tied together.

A hairy hand wrapped itself around his throat, but it didn't tighten. Iggy silenced, putting a snarl on his lips and willing his blind eyes to glare directly into the Eraser's eyes. Hey, his eyes were probably on the Eraser's eyebrows, but the snarl must've done the trick, because the hand retracted.

Just as Iggy let a triumphant smirk onto his face, there was a sudden slamming noise, closely following by a sharp whistling.

The back doors to the Humvee had flown open, and cold wind filled the area.

"What the…?" one of the Erasers growled. Iggy heard his footsteps begin to head towards the back doors.

_That was a mistake,_ Iggy thought just as the Eraser let out a startled howl, which began to grow fainter and fainter by the second. _Go, Nudge! One down already._

"What's going on?!" the remaining Eraser snapped. Iggy felt the Eraser's eyes land on him as if this had been his fault, and all Iggy could do was shrug innocently.

Just like that, he heard a pair of feet enter the back of the Humvee, closely followed by the doors closing. There was the crash of glass breaking, which could've only been the light that the Erasers had been using.

_Nice tactic. Wipe out the light. You know you can see better in the dark than he can,_ Iggy thought.

Before any bullets few, there was a snarl, which soon turned to a frightened yowl. A _SLAM!_ immediately followed, and the yowl became faint.

Iggy smiled. Nudge had thrown the Eraser through the doors.

"Good job!" Iggy exclaimed, sitting upright. "I can swear you're becoming a mini Max."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Nudge asked. Her hands came down on his shoulders. "Are you okay? You took a hard hit when you fell."

Iggy grimaced as her fingers brushed along his injured wing. "It's just my wing. Other than that, I'm hunky-dory," he said. "Now, if you don't mind, my knife is in my back pocket. Could you please cut the ropes? My arms and legs are beginning to hurt."


	32. Thirty One

**A/N: Another short one. Also, I'm writing the first chapter to another MR fan fiction. Anyone interested, feel free to keep an eye out for it. I'm calling it **_**The Pack.**_** And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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"Why'd you stop?!" Rogan snarled.

Jenson, who had been driving the Humvee holding that blind freak, had come to a screeching halt all of a sudden. Rogan had stopped his Humvee, and he had seen the one in front of him come to a stop, too.

Jenson clenched his fists, glaring at Rogan. "I saw one of the bird kids! She put her face against the windshield, smiled, waved, then flew off!" he pointed out. "Plus, Rogers and Mark are missing, and so's that blind birdkid."

Lucas's dark eyes flicked up and down as he examined Jenson. "'She'? You mean, the one that you saw was female?" Jenson nodded. "Damn," Lucas continued. "I thought Bane said he took the leader out!"

While Jenson had been explaining, Bane, who had been in charge of the Humvee in front, had approached. "I did," he snapped.

Jenson made a face. "It wasn't the leader! She was younger!" he said.

They all went pale. "You mean that little girl, the one with the blonde hair? God, we're in trouble," Lucas moaned.

"No." Jenson shook her head. "It wasn't the little one, either. She was older than that."

Bane pursed his lips, glaring at Jenson. "You stopped because of _her?_ I'd understand either of the others. The other two girls are dangerous, and the boy's just as dangerous as the leader, but _that_ one? The others are threats. That one's just a nuisance," he said.

A pair of dark eyes watching the group narrowed.

_Nuisance?! I'll show you nuisance!_

With that thought in mind, she pulled something from the pocket of her windbreaker--a little present from Iggy--and planted it on top of the second Humvee, the one she was perched on. She was off like a bullet, trying to get as far away from that Humvee as she possibly could.

_"HEY!"_ Jenson roared. _"THERE SHE-"_

_BOOM!_

Rogan's Humvee leapt high into the air as it combusted.

It was obvious that none of the Erasers had seen this coming. They all froze, their eyes locked on what had once been a transportation vehicle.

_BOOM!_

Jenson's Humvee followed suit.

Nudge grinned. Iggy's second bomb had had the perfect timing.

A pair of eyes landed on Nudge. Bane. Nudge simply winked, wiggled her fingers in a cute little wave, and made a beeline for the last Humvee--the one holding Gazzy.


	33. Thirty Two

**A/N: Wow…I'm writing what I honestly believe are my crappiest chapters yet, but people still enjoy them. That makes me feel good inside! Thanks! Also, this is another not-so-good chapter, seeing as it was kind of slapped together, and I'm too exhausted to revise. Six hours of yard work can really take it out of you. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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The Erasers were beginning to regain themselves, and Nudge could see the rage manifesting on their faces.

Before she knew it, she was standing behind the doors. She pulled them open effortlessly, and then she was looking down at a grinning eleven-year-old. "Hey, Nudge," Gazzy said happily.

Nudge didn't respond. She had to work quickly. She jumped into the back and sliced through the ropes binding Gazzy's wrists and ankles.

"Do me a favor," Nudge said. She shoved Iggy's last bomb into Gazzy's hands. "Drop this on 'em, will you?"

With a devious grin, Gazzy was off.

"Alright," Nudge said easily, then called, "Iggy, come on out. I need some help hotwiring this Humvee."

She heard a loud laugh come from where Iggy had been hiding. He came running out of the trees, a grin on his face. For the second time that week, he stated, "Nudge, you're too young to drive."

_BOOM!_ One explosion and several howls later, nine Erasers were alive, and eight were too injured to fight.

"Haha!" Gazzy cried in triumph. Nudge couldn't help but grin at the little firebug. Many times, Gazzy's pyromania had led to uncomfortable and at times even terrifying situations (usually involving Max screaming like a banshee at him), but other times it could come in handy.

Iggy was nearing, and Gazzy was swooping down to join them. Still grinning, Nudge turned and began to head for the driver's seat.

Iggy suddenly yelped, and Nudge knew that he had tripped.

Nudge whirled, about ready to tell Iggy to hurry and get back up. The shout froze in her lungs when she saw the blood rapidly beginning to stain his jeans. A gasp replaced the shout as her eyes fell on what was behind Iggy.

Bane had his gun aimed right at the seventeen-year-old.

_"No!"_ Nudge screamed. Then, she had her hands on Iggy's shoulders, and using all her strength, she practically threw him into the back of the Humvee. With her back to Bane, she slammed the doors shut.

She began to turn around. All of a sudden, she found her stomach and chest pinned against the back of the truck and one arm twisted behind her back. She cried out in pain before biting her bottom lip so hard that it bled.

Bane's sneering face was only inches from her own.

"Say bye-bye, birdie," he snarled gleefully, pressing the tip of a gun between Nudge's eyes.


	34. Thirty Three

**A/N: Sorry, but updates will be coming in slower, and the chapters will be short. I'm just so buried in homework! But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

When Angel had decided that I was stable enough, she had looked me right in the eye and said, "Max, I was reading Nudge's thoughts when she went after the Humvees. She wants us to meet her at the E house."

The E house. How long had it been since any of us had been there? Gazzy and Iggy had been the last ones to leave, and that had still been three years ago.

I nodded slowly. If we had to go to the E house, we were going to start the journey as soon as possible. That way, if we got there before Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy showed up (_If they show up…no, don't think like that.)_, we could have the first-aid prepared, just in case there were any injuries.

I grimaced. Well, there was already one definite injury: Iggy's wing.

Pursing my lips, I thought, _Nudge, you'd better know what you're doing. If you get hurt…_

I terminated this thought before it could get any further.

"Alright," I heard Fang say from right beside me. "We'll face a safe place to spend the night, and when the sun rises we'll start heading there."

"No," I immediately argued. "Now. We're going now." I tried to stand, only to have my legs crumple beneath me. _Bane, I swear to god, when I find you, you're dead meat,_ my mind growled.

Angel grinned at me. **Well, good to see you're getting a grip,** she thought at me.

I gave her a smile, completely ignoring Fang's protests. "I don't care what you're going to say, Fang, we're going now," I interrupted him. "I'm not just going to lie around all night while Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy are fighting for their lives and their freedom. The least we can do is be there for them when they show up."

_If they show up._

I bit my bottom lip, and if it was possible to glare at myself, I was doing it. _Shut up! They _will_ show up!_


	35. Thirty Four

**A/N: I apologize. The last chapter wasn't so great. I'm trying to focus more attention onto **_**U & A**_** now, so I hope this one's a little better. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

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There was a loud _SCREEEEE!_ as a Humvee rounded a sharp corner, nearly going up on two wheels.

Inside the Humvee, Gazzy was staring at Nudge with wide eyes. He had been ever since they had taken off. The entire time, Nudge had been trying her hardest to ignore him. When you're trying to keep terror, adrenaline, and wild confusion locked up, though, irritation could easily find its way out.

_"What?"_ she finally snapped at Gazzy.

The Gasman blinked once before saying, "I can't believe you're _alive,_ Nudge. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that you're not dead, but…how did you survive? I clearly heard those two gunshots, and I could've sworn that that Eraser had still been holding onto you when you suddenly got free."

Nudge sighed, pursing her lips. As they had discovered, she wasn't a much better driver than Max, so it was hard for Nudge to concentrate on her thoughts instead of the road.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Nudge braked the car as gently as she could. (Gazzy, who was not wearing his seatbelt, almost crashed into the dashboard.)

They heard the doors to the Humvee fly open. _One of which now has two very distinct bullet holes in it now,_ Nudge couldn't help but think.

"That would be Iggy," Gazzy muttered.

Nudge felt bad about keeping Iggy locked up in the back. After all, what was worse than not knowing what was going on? Iggy probably didn't even know if Nudge was injured or not.

There was a cry of pain from the back of the Humvee. "Crap! Iggy's leg was shot!" Nudge cried. She had forgotten.

She and Gazzy jumped out of the car and rushed over to Iggy, who was now trying to get to his feet. Nudge and Gazzy helped him up and began to help him towards the front.

"Are you okay?" Nudge asked.

Iggy grimaced. "I was about to ask you the same. You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

After a moment, Nudge said, "No. Bane--uh, I think that's what he told Max his name was--had me against the back of the Humvee, gun to my head. He pulled the trigger twice but…it was like the bullets just went through me. I didn't hesitate, and when I tried to struggle, I went right through his arms. I jumped into the car, Gazzy landed and got into the other side, and we took off."

Gazzy was in the middle spot of the seats, now, and Iggy was hopping in after him. He kept Nudge from closing the door. "You mean like…kind of like you were a ghost or something?" he asked.

Nudge shrugged. "I guess."

Iggy's face was unreadable. "Gazzy has a new ability," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "He developed precognition. I'm sure that if that happened…you must've developed one, too."

Nudge had already considered this. She was hugging herself, her eyes focused on the ground. She could feel Gazzy's wide eyes zeroed in on her, but she paid no attention. Instead, she concentrated on Iggy's words.

"It wouldn't be too surprising, to have two abilities develop within forty-eight hours of each other. After all, we found out about Gazzy's mimicry just two days after Angel's telepathy."

Iggy and Nudge looked up at each other. "Nudge," Iggy said slowly, meditatively, "do you think it's at all possible that you developed intangibility?"

Nudge pursed her lips and swallowed thickly. After a long moment of thought, she murmured, "Yes."


	36. Thirty Five

**A/N: Haha…so, I see that people like Nudge's new ability. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

_Max landed right in front of Gazzy. "What's wrong?" she asked._

_ The truth was, Gazzy didn't _know_ what was wrong. It was just another one of those gut feelings that he had been getting so often lately._

Everything, Max,_ Gazzy thought._ Everything's wrong.

_Angel and Fang landed behind Max. All of a sudden, Angel's blue eyes widened. Her head whipped around, her blonde hair flying around her head like a halo. Before she had time to shout a warning, a heavy weight slammed into Gazzy, knocking all the air from his lungs._

_ He heard the others shout his name, but he knew that only a matter of milliseconds passed before they were engaged in fights._

_ Dazed, Gazzy landed hard on the ground, the Eraser on top of him. He didn't even have time to cry out before its hairy hands were wrapped around the front of his shirt. Before Gazzy could even think to fight back, the Eraser hurled him into a tree._

_ Gazzy hated the feeling of discombobulation. It made him feel so weak and vulnerable. His mind was moving at the speed of a snail, and it was unable to process any kind of self-defense._

_ Forcing himself to his hands and knees, Gazzy finally regained his breath. Immediately, his was coughing, clutching his chest where it had stricken the tree._

_ "Leave him alone!" Angel's voice broke through the haze in Gazzy's mind. He looked up to see the Eraser towering over him. The look in its eyes held no ill-intent; instead, there was only an immense, almost pitiful confusion._

_ He began to back away._

_ Gazzy looked around, and he immediately noticed that three flock members were missing. Before he could ask, Angel thought to him, __**Max had us split into two groups. Nudge and Iggy are with Fang. Half of the Erasers chased after them.**_

_ Then, Max's hand was on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked._

_ Gazzy nodded. "Just a little dazed," he struggled to say._

_ Max opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by Angel's scream._

_ Immediately, two heads whipped around to face her. She was face-down on the ground. Yards away, Bane stood with a gun in his hand._

_ One second, Gazzy was flat on his back on the ground. The next, He was on his feet beside Max, one of her arms wrapped around him while the other was holding Angel tightly to her body._

_ "Just a tranquilizer," Max murmured, more to herself than to Gazzy._

_ An Eraser approached the trio. "You're all going back to the school," Bane said with a sickening sort of glee._

_ Gazzy felt so pathetic. He still hadn't regained himself enough to fight. Max was staying strong, though Gazzy didn't have to see the snarl on her lips to know that it was there._

"Over my dead body,"_ she spat._

Bad choice of words,_ was all Gazzy was able to think before Bane grinned, pointed at him, and said, "No, Max, you're to important. How about over _his_ dead body?"_

_ Max's arm tightened around him protectively. Gazzy could tell by the position of her feet that she was about to kick into overdrive and speed out of there._

_ Bane noticed this, too. Tranquilizers were fired, and Max went down hard._

_ For just a second, Gazzy was frozen. He was completely untouched by the tranquilizers, and his foggy mind tried to figure out why. Shaking off the idea, Gazzy fell to his knees next to Max and his sister. Max was still conscious, and Gazzy could tell by the look on her face that she was fighting the tranquilizers with everything she had._

_ The regret in her eyes pained him._

_ "I'm so sorry, Gazzy."_

_ Before he could even try to console her, a hand gripped the back of his windbreaker, and he was yanked backwards, flat on his back. Bane's sneering, scarred face filled his vision. The Eraser snarled, "You heard me, boy. Over your dead body."_

_ Two hands wrapped around Gazzy's neck and tightened._

_ Finally, his mind cleared enough to fight back, but it was too late. No matter how hard he struggled, the hands didn't loosen, and soon the whole world went black._

* * *

"Gazzy! Gazzy!"

The world came into focus, and Gazzy looked over at Iggy with wide eyes.

_"Another_ vision? How many are you going to have a day?" Nudge asked, placing a concerned hand on Gazzy's shoulder. "You were just sitting there, staring at the dashboard with blank eyes. We couldn't snap you out of it."

"You were whispering under your breath, too," Iggy added. "You were saying stuff like 'you're all going back to the school' and 'leave him alone.' None of it sounded like your voice. Were you mimicking people from your vision?"

Gazzy shrugged.

"Are you okay?" Nudge asked.

Gazzy nodded. _That isn't the important question,_ Gazzy thought. _What you should be asking is, _Will_ you be okay?_


	37. Thirty Six

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I haven't had much of a chance to get on the computer lately. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

"At this rate," I grumbled, "we'll never get there!"

Over the past three years, Angel hadn't done a lot of flying, so every other hour she needed a break. Fang was getting tired just as quickly because he had to carry me in his arms.

I remembered our journey to save Angel from the school three years ago. It had only taken about two days to reach Lake Mead from the house. I had been hoping that it would take the same amount of time going back, but with these frequent breaks, it was going to take a lifetime. Even though the sun would be setting soon (and we had been on the go since we had first been separated from Nudge, Iggy, and Gazzy), I couldn't say that we were even a quarter of the way there.

Angel looked up at me with her big blue eyes. She stood up from her spot on the ground, spreading her wings. "I can go again," she said in an unwavering voice. In just that one moment, she reminded me of Gazzy, my little trooper.

A small smile tweaked at Angel's lips. **I've only been stuck with him for the past three years,**__she thought at me.

I smiled for only a brief moment, then looked at Fang. "You ready to go?" I asked him. He simply shrugged and stood, holding his arms out for me.

As Fang picked me up, I said, "God, I feel like such a dead weight."

The truth was, I could _almost_ fly now, thanks to my rapid healing. Unfortunately, whenever I tried to do it on my own, the wound would start bleeding again. Also, landings would be tricky, seeing as I could barely walk on my shredded legs. _Damn, they did a good job of disabling me,_ I thought.

Then, we were in the sky.

The next couple hours passed uneventfully. I wanted to try out my flying again. Fang didn't want to have to take a sudden break to tend to my wound, so he wouldn't let me. I supposed that that was a good choice on his part.

I looked back and forth between Fang and Angel. Angel had fallen behind a considerable amount, and sweat was trickling down the side of Fang's face. I sighed. "Time for another break, guys."

Fang and Angel landed, and Fang laid me down on the ground. I watched as they plopped down, wiping sweat from their faces.

"How's our progress?" I asked Fang. He barely even glanced at me, and I knew. Not good.

God, I felt so useless. I was pretty sure we all did.

Pursing my lips and focusing my eyes on the ground, I thought,_ We're trying, guys. Just hang tight. We'll get there._ My mind involuntarily added, _We'll get there, whether you will or not._


	38. Thirty Seven

**A/N: Unfortunately, this is another filler. It is just meant to show just how close the flock members are. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

* * *

Gazzy was spaced out, his glazed over eyes staring past the dashboard. He was thinking about something very thoroughly, and for about the millionth time in their lives, Iggy and Nudge wished they could read minds.

Iggy rubbed Gazzy's back in a comforting gesture. Beneath Iggy's hand, Gazzy's body jolted with surprise.

"What was in that vision?" Nudge tried for the thousandth time. When she saw the 'nothing' beginning to form on Gazzy's lips again, she quickly continued, "The future isn't written in stone. Whatever it was, if you tell us, maybe we can help prevent it."

Gazzy pursed his lips as his eyes slowly began to become unfocused again.

_I can't tell you. If I do, then you might not leave with Fang when Max orders us to split up. You could get hurt, too._

"It was nothing," he murmured again.

"It was obviously more than nothing," Iggy pointed out, trying to be patient. "Gazzy, you're not acting like yourself. Whatever you saw, it threw you out of orbit."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Gazzy said, "Fine! Y'know how my first two visions were in a lab? Well, in this one, we got kidnapped. I'm freaked out because I don't want to go back to that place, and they were dragging us back kicking and screaming." He massaged his temples. "Okay?"

Iggy rubbed Gazzy's back again, but Nudge didn't see Iggy's sympathetic side coming out. Iggy's blind eyes rose in an attempt to meet Nudge's dark ones, and she immediately knew that they were thinking the same thing.

There was something wrong about Gazzy's explanation. Gazzy had had visions where he had actually been _in the laboratory,_ where he had been in enough pain _to make him scream,_ and just seeing them get kidnapped had made him like this?

Nudge didn't believe it.

Nudge braked the car. Gazzy's surprised eyes turned to her.

"Why are you lying to us, Gazzy?"

If Gazzy was caught off-guard by this question, he was dumbstruck by the one that followed: "Don't you trust us?"

A hurt look appeared in Gazzy's eyes, and Nudge immediately knew that he had taken that question the wrong way. She hadn't meant it as an accusation. It was supposed to remind Gazzy that he could trust them.

"Of _course_ I do," Gazzy replied, and for the first time since they'd been separated from the others, his true age began to show through. Gazzy's voice was becoming thick with emotion. "You guys are my family. I believe that you guys will try and help me more than I believe that the sun will rise the morning! But…but _that's_ the problem…!"

Iggy's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his eyes rose to meet Nudge's once again.

Gazzy was scared. They both knew it.

Then, Gazzy shook it off, forcing himself to restrain his emotions. 'My little trooper,' Max always called him. 'Too much of a little trooper' was the opinion of both Iggy and Nudge.

"What's going to happen?" Nudge begged to know.

There was a long moment of silence. Then, there was a quiet, "Nothing."


	39. Thirty Eight

**A/N: I know it's been forever since I've updated, but I've been busy with studying! Finals, including my Biology Core40, are coming up, and I'm working hard to get my grades up to get into the advanced classes. Please remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Have you ever felt like the world wasn't right? Like something was off, even by the tiniest bit?

Of course, Angel's world had been off ever since birth, and by more than just a sliver. She had wings and super powers, for Pete's sake. For the past nine years of her life, that had become her "normal," if that was what you would call it.

Gazzy, Nudge, and Iggy were gone, possibly dead, possible kidnapped, possibly anything. Iggy had a wounded wing. Max could barely walk on her own, and she couldn't fly. Angel didn't even know if anyone else was hurt, or how badly it was. Over the past twenty-four hours, though, Angel had managed to accept that as her temporary "normal."

Tonight, though…tonight, something was way too wrong.

This knowledge had come to Angel hours ago, immediately waking her from the empty abyss of sleep. Now, Max was getting restless again, and she was about to wake up Fang and tell him that they were about to start moving again.

**God, I hope they're okay,** Max thought for the thousandth time. She leaned over, shook Fang into consciousness, and said, "Fang, we're about to head out." She was about to do the same to Angel, but Angel interrupted.

"I'm awake, Max."

Angel stood up. She had been awake for hours now, so there was no need to stretch, yawn, or rub the sleep from her eyes. Fang was the same because he was one of those people who could wake up quickly. _Much unlike Nudge,_ Angel thought.

"Alright," Max said, struggling to her feet. Fang lifted her into his arms before she had the chance to fall over. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

And then they were off. As the trio moved, Angel monitored Fang's and Max's thoughts.

**Angel, get out of my head,** Max continued to repeat. **Angel, get out of my head.** In an attempt to keep any true thoughts from leaking through, Max just threw words out there. **Unicorns! Puppies! Rainbows!**

**Back at the old house,** Fang was thinking. **I wonder why Nudge chose there? It would've been just as easy, if not easier, to get to Dr. Martinez's with Iggy's injured wing. I wonder how Ella and Dr. Martinez have been doing lately. I wonder if Total's been driving them insane. Probably has.**

Fang's sudden switch between topics let Angel know that Fang knew that she was in his head.

A small smile touched Angel's lips. _I'm sure that Total and Max's family are fine,_ she thought to Fang.

The smile melted from Angel's face as the word 'family' resonated in her head.

That was when it came to Angel. The flaw. The wrong.

Her whole body went cold. She stopped flying and only moved her wings enough to keep airborne. Her nerves began humming all over her body, and her heartbeat sped up and pounded in her ears. Terror entered her bloodstream, and a kind of adrenaline that she hated but was all-too-familiar with seized her fluttering heart.

She loathed this feeling. It only ever came when some kind of knowledge came to her. It wasn't any kind of precognition, like what Gazzy had, but it was just something that she suddenly _knew._

"Angel?" Max asked, alarm seeping into her voice. "What's wrong? Are there Erasers nearby? Is there any information about the others?"

Angel swallowed thickly and slowly shook her head. _No,_ she wanted to say. _There aren't any Erasers. I don't know anything about the others._ Slowly, her eyes rose to meet Max's. Somehow, she managed to force out the words, "They have Annette and Roger."


	40. Thirty Nine

**A/N: WOW, it has been a while, hasn't it? I'm very sorry about that. I've just had a very bad case of writer's block, and I've been a little busy with an original story. Still, I figured I owe you guys something. So, here it is! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Gazzy's head was resting against Iggy's arm. The eleven-year-old's eyes were gently closed, and soft snores were drifting from his nose.

"It's hard to believe that we're already at the end of the second day, huh," Iggy muttered. "A little less than forty-eight hours ago, those damn Erasers attacked us and caught us." A shaky sigh escaped from his mouth. "I hope they're all okay. And Max…god, they shredded her legs to bits. Also, her wing's still messed up from that fight a few days ago, remember?"

Nudge gave a little, solemn nod. "I know." She glanced at him for a second before returning her eyes to the road. "Speaking of which, how's your leg and your wing doing? If I remember correctly, you got a bullet to each."

Iggy's lips pursed. "Hurt like hell, but they're healing. If Max's theory of three days equals full recovery is correct, then I should at least be able to walk or fly soon." He "looked" at Nudge. "By the way, aren't you getting tired? You've been driving without rest, and I can't take over because I'm blind, and neither of us would trust Gazzy behind the wheel."

Nudge made a face. "I'm fine. I've stayed awake for several consecutive days before, right? We used to do it all the time when we were on the run. I just haven't done it nearly as much in the past three years. Speaking of the past three years, I need something to keep my mind off of sleep, so how about we talk about that? How's your life been lately? You went back to your real parents, didn't you? What're they like? What all have you done? Has it been fun? What's school been like? I saw you had a girlfriend. What's her name? What's she like? Is she nice? She's certainly pretty. Do you love her? Are you going to marry-"

_"Nudge!"_ Iggy growled. "For one, I can only answer one question at a time! For two, _don't pry into my love life!_ It makes me really uncomfortable."

Nudge grinned. "What's her name?" she asked.

How had Iggy known she wouldn't back off the subject?

Sighing in defeat, he said, "Her name's Phoebe Winchester. She can be pretty bossy, but she's very smart and very compassionate. She's very nice. As for the loving and marrying part of your questions, no comment."

"Aw, come on!" Nudge whined. "Do you love her? You must, if you're keeping it a secret! So, when're you gonna propose?"

Iggy was going red in the face. "I don't love her, Nudge. I just really, really like her. As for the propose bit, probably not anytime soon. Now let's talk about something else."

"Okay, we'll talk about _my_ love life. I don't have a boyfriend or anything right now, but I do have a _really_ big crush on this guy named Brandon. He has shaggy, light brown hair that gets into his face all the time, and these really, _really_ gorgeous blue eyes. His smile is to _die_ for. Plus, he's, like, really smart and everything, so that evens the scales a lot."

Iggy sighed and grumbled something under his breath as Nudge continued. He didn't really care for the subject of boyfriends and girlfriends, but if it was keeping Nudge from falling asleep and crashing them into a tree, then all was good.

Also, Iggy was happy to hear that Nudge hadn't changed much. She was still the flock's almost normal chatterbox.

"…but he already has a girlfriend, so I'm-_oh my god, Iggy, look!"_

Nudge was so excited that she practically squealed the last five words. Iggy made a face, and Nudge felt her face go red. "I mean, uh…"

Gazzy was awake now, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's the fuss about?" he asked, his words slurring together like a drunk man's. As soon as he looked out the windshield, though, he knew.

Immediately wide awake, Gazzy let a big grin cross his face. "Hey, I recognize this part of the woods!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Familiar land was coming into view.

That meant that home wasn't too far away.


	41. Forty

**A/N: Alright, I'm trying to keep steady with the story again. As soon as I get over the fillers, which will be soon, I promise, I should be updating pretty regularly. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

"Wow."

For once, that seemed to be all that Nudge could say.

Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy stood side by side, staring at something they hadn't seen in three very, very long years.

"Wow," Nudge repeated, her eyes taking in every detail of the E-house. Sure, she had spent four years living in it, but never had she noticed just how cozy it appeared. She had taken the house for granted and hadn't even looked back on the fateful day they'd left to rescue Angel.

Now…now it just felt so…_wow._

"I can't believe it," Gazzy said as a grin spread across his face. "Home." He laughed, racing towards the house. "Home, sweet home!"

After a moment, Iggy and Nudge chased after him.

Gazzy burst through the door. He looked around with big eyes and a big grin. He let out a loud shout of joy and went running down one of the halls.

After a moment, Nudge's scream echoed through the house. _"Oh, my god, it's my room!"_

It was amazing how excited three birdkids could be just by seeing their old home.

Even after an hour, when the three were gathered in the living room, Nudge was still brimming with excitement. "Wow, can you believe it? It's _exactly_ the same as we left it three years ago, except for the dust and everything. I mean, it's the exact same, and yet it feels so strange, 'cause _we're_ what's changed. I mean, when we lived here, we were still _kids,_ y'know? Well, I'm still a kid, and so are Gazzy and Angel, but that's not what I mean. It's just, like, we were _like_ kids…well, mutant-freak birdkids, but that's besides the point."

She was going through everything, not leaving anything unturned.

"And then we left, and here we are now! Not so kid-like anymore, are we? Well, we still kinda are, but not as much. Can you believe it? All we did was leave home, and look at what our lives are like now! You know what I mean?"

Iggy rolled his eyes. "Yes, Vern, I know what you mean."

Nudge's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Vern?" she asked.

Iggy waved the question away. "Just a T.V. reference," he said.

"Oh," Nudge said. "Well, anyway, look!" She pointed through the kitchen doorway. "Look at the kitchen table! That's stereo guts! I swear I recognize it." She grinned at Iggy. "You and Gazzy did some work after me, Max, and Fang left, didn't you? That's why Max was so mad at you when you first caught up to us, right? Oh, my god, I'm feeling so nostalgic right now! It's so-Gazzy, what's up?"

Gazzy was startled out of his trance. "Whadduya mean, what's up?" he asked. "I was just spacing out."

Nudge pursed her lips for moment, then asked, "What were you thinking about, then?"

"Nothing, much," Gazzy said with a shrug. "I was just thinking about what you said, how our lives have changed so much just by leaving behind this house. I was wondering, what'll our lives become now? Now that we're all back together again, and Itex is rampaging again? Will we go back to the good ol' days, with us running for our lives every second?" He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm sure Itex isn't exactly the same as we left it. They're probably smarter, and they probably have better slaves.

"What happens if one of us get killed or something? What'll our lives be like then?"

Silence filled the house for a long moment. Then, Iggy sighed and said, "Those are pretty good questions. I just wish we had some answers."


	42. Forty One

**A/N: GAH! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY! It's been almost two months since I've updated, and I think that's the longest I've gone yet! Not only that, but I wasted the summer away, and school's going to start in twelve days! Seeing as I'm starting high school, I'm going to have even LESS time to write…I'M SORRY! **_**Curse you, writer's block!**_** I promise I'm going to start posting at much smaller intervals again, seeing as I'm almost done with the filler chapters. Anyway, I know I'm babbling, so I'm just going to give the traditional line then get on with the chapter: Remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Thank god for rapid recuperation.

I was now flying on my own, so we were clearing ground much quicker than before. That much was one little, itsy-bitsy relief in the face of so many problems.

Speaking of problems… My eyes found their way to Angel, who was flying in silence. She was staring directly ahead, her eyebrows furrowed, a subtle glare of concentration in her eyes. That look hadn't left her face for even a second after stating that the school had captured Roger and Annette…whoever those two were.

Fang and I had given up trying to comfort Angel a long time ago. I was wishing so badly that Angel would brighten up, like she had been up until that discovery, but I knew that that wasn't going to be happening for awhile. I recognized the mood that Angel was in, and I knew that she wasn't anywhere near being comforted.

Sighing heavily, I faced forward again.

_Ouch._ I wrenched my eyes shut, trying hard to ignore the pain that was searing from the fleshy part of my wing all the way into my shoulder. Even though I was well enough to fly, I hadn't healed completely, and I was in pain. That would've been the second of my long list of current problems.

Fang, noticing my grimace, flew closer to me and asked, "Wanna take a break?" When I shook my head, Fang said, "Let me rephrase that: We're taking a break."

I glared at him, and he glared back. I said, "No, we're not," and he said, "Yes, we are." Even though I loved the guy to death, I _really_ hated him some of the time.

I shook my head obstinately. _"No,_ we're _not,"_ I insisted. "Fang, I haven't gone all wacko since we were separated from the others, but that's only because it's been coming in small doses. Now, it's about to boil over, and I'm about to go ballistic-" Problems number three and four. "-which I'm sure none of us want, seeing as we're _still_ about two hours away-" Problem number five. "-and for three long days, I haven't known and _still_ don't know if two of my brothers and one of my sisters are dead or being tortured." Obviously, problem number six and the biggest problem of all.

"I'm not stopping. Not now, not in an hour, not until we get there. Alright?"

Fang sighed, looking ahead. His eyes were narrowed slightly, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. After a long moment with nothing but the wind whistling in our ears, Fang finally replied.

"I know how you feel, Max, but there are a lot of things that we have to take into consideration. Not only are you still hurt, but we have Angel to think about. We haven't taken a break in a long time. She's still pretty young, and she hasn't done a lot of flying in the past three years. Also, she needs a little bit of rest so that she can sort some things out. Her and Gazzy's adopted parents have been _kidnapped,_ for Pete's sake."

From Fang, that was speech-worthy, and it was a speech that made me feel pretty guilty. I hadn't been thinking about Angel, and I was guessing that Roger and Annette were her adopted parents. I'd feel horrible if Ella and Mom ever got kidnapped because of me.

I pursed my lips, staring down at the ground far below for a long moment. Then, I looked over at Angel and called, "Ange, let's-"

"No. I'm not tired. Let's keep moving."

God, she really _had_ gotten a lot like Gazzy over the past three years. Now, she was more like my other little trooper than she was my baby girl.

The glare in Angel's bright blue eyes had gone from one of concentration to one of determination. I could tell that she was pushing away her worries over Annette and Roger and returning her attention to the matter at hand. I was almost completely stunned when Angel gave me an encouraging grin.

I wasn't quite sure why, but all of a sudden I had a _very_ strong urge to start crying.

I shook the feeling away before I actually _did_ start crying. "Okay," I told her, "we'll keep going."

And that was exactly what we did.


	43. Forty Two

**A/N: Yay…I actually updated fairly quickly! Thankfully, I think that the fillers are just about over, and I'm going to get some more action in here. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Iggy and Gazzy were in what used to be their bedroom. Iggy was lying on his bed, arms crossed behind his head; and Gazzy was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed and picking at a splinter in the wooden floor.

Both were silent, deeply submerged in thought. They weren't disturbed by Nudge, who was now happily reminiscing the past in the room that she used to share with Angel, so the silence in the house felt like it couldn't have been shattered by a sledgehammer. It was, however, broken by the shriek of the springs in Iggy's mattress as he sat up.

"Gazzy, you know how worried Nudge and I am," he began in a very concerned voice. Iggy didn't have to continue for Gazzy to know what he was going to say, but he went on anyway. "Ever since that last vision, you haven't been quite yourself. I'm going to ask you something I've already asked you a thousand times, but I want the answer we both know is true this time: Are you okay?"

Gazzy didn't have to have precognition to know where this conversation was heading. So, he tried to change the subject. "Am _I_ okay? Ig, that's something I should be asking _you._ A knee and a wing got shot out, no? How are you holding up?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't a very good attempt at changing the subject. Gazzy knew how quickly they healed, and he also knew that Iggy was already walking and flying just fine. Iggy knew that Gazzy knew this, and it frustrated the seventeen-year-old how his best friend and not-by-blood-but-definitely brother was being so evasive.

"Don't dodge the subject. Something is wrong. You know it, I know it, Nudge knows it. You might as well tell us what so that we can help," Iggy said.

_That's precisely what I don't want you to do,_ Gazzy thought, but he kept that sentence as just a thought. With nothing to say, Gazzy just kept picking at the splinter.

Iggy sighed, lightly tugging his strawberry-blonde hair in exasperation. "It doesn't matter if you tell me or not," he said, his blind, moonstone eyes aimed at his lap. "I'm not stupid, and I already have a guess at what's wrong.

"You've been acting strange ever since you had that vision, so it was undoubtedly a _bad_ vision. You refuse to tell us what happened in it, which means you don't want us interfering with what happens in it, probably for our own protection. Earlier, you asked us what would happen if one of us died, which is something that you _never_ liked thinking about, let alone _talking_ about.

"In your vision, one of us died. It obviously wasn't me or Nudge, or you would've warned us by now. If it had been Max, Fang, or Angel, you would've told us in a heartbeat so that we could all try and stop it."

By now, Iggy was pulling his hair so hard it looked like he was trying to lift himself up by it. His eyes were squeezed shut, and the look on his face was one of such pain, stress, worry that Gazzy felt completely and utterly helpless.

Iggy swallowed thickly. Even though he looked like he didn't want to know, he asked in a strained voice, "Gazzy, you died in your vision, didn't you?"

Gazzy was so stunned by Iggy's deduction and so stricken by that look on his face that he found the words spewing out of his mouth like a waterfall: "I-I'm not sure if I actually…if I actually _died,_ Iggy. I-I might've just been un-unconscious, but…"

That was where his voice trailed off. Gazzy had been thinking about if he had died, but the realization that he would likely be dying very soon just seemed to wash over him. The eleven-year-old buried his face in his hands and brought his knees up to his chest, curling up into a ball.

Gazzy had been faced with many things in life. In fact, he had even been at death's door multiple times already. But actually knowing that it was coming for you was _terrifying._

Iggy seemed to realize that Gazzy wasn't going to continue, so he finished the sentence for him. "But you don't think you were just unconscious, do you?" he asked. Seconds later, Gazzy felt one of Iggy's hands on his shoulder. Gazzy lowered his hands and looked up into the face that was only inches from his.

That look hadn't left Iggy's face, but now there seemed to be something else in it. Something like determination.

With that very same determination in his voice, Iggy said, "Gazzy, you _have_ to tell me when and where this happens. You have to let me help you!"

"No," was Gazzy's immediate reply. "No, I can't. If I do, you might die, too."

The next thing Gazzy knew, Iggy's strong arms were wrapped around him, holding the blonde boy tightly against the young man. "I don't care!" Iggy was yelling now, and Gazzy could clearly hear a million emotions running through his voice. "I don't _care_ if I die! I just can't sit back and let you _die,_ Gazzy! For God's sake, you're my partner-in-crime, my little brother, my best friend! I can't let you die!"

_"What's going on?"_

Both boys were immediately shocked into silence. Their heads whipped towards the doorway, where Nudge was standing with a frightened, concerned look on her face. "What's this about Gazzy dying?" she persisted. "Is that why you've been acting so strange? Because you saw yourself _dying?"_

Even if Gazzy had had the voice to answer, he didn't have a chance to, because Angel's ecstatic scream suddenly flared in all their heads:

_HI, GUYS!_


	44. Forty Three

**A/N: I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter! I've been trying to focus on Gazzy, Nudge, and Iggy more than what JP did in the book series, and I hope I'm doing a good job. I'm also really happy…286 reviews! Fourteen more, and I'll be at three hundred! When I wrote the first chapter and only got one review, I had no idea that people were going to like this so much! This chapter might sound a little slapped together, because that's exactly what it is, and I'm sorry about that. But remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Silence rained down on the E-house. The three inside of it were frozen, staring at each other.

"So, they finally made it," Nudge murmured. She looked right at Gazzy and said, "Let's go greet them. Don't think this is the end of this, Gazzy." Then, she turned and headed for the door. She immediately froze and whirled around again as Gazzy suddenly yelped in pain.

Both boys had gotten to their feet, and Iggy had barely managed to catch Gazzy. Gazzy was clutching his head in that telltale "vision" way, though now his eyes were wide open and staring into nothingness.

_ "What's wrong?" she asked._

Gazzy sucked in a quick breath, looking around wildly. Nudge and Iggy were staring intently at him, and Nudge was about to ask him if he was okay when that blank look entered his eyes again.

_Everything, Max. Everything's wrong._

Gazzy came to again, just in time to hear Iggy say to Nudge, "He's talking under his breath again. I think he's mimicking the people again." Before he could hear Nudge's reply, he was swept under another wave.

_"Over my dead body."_

_ "No, Max, you're too important. How about over _his_ dead body?"_

As the real world flickered back for another brief moment, Gazzy realized that he was now lying on the floor with Iggy's arms around him and Nudge's hand on his shoulder. Iggy, having obviously heard what Gazzy had probably just whispered, had wide eyes aimed down at the eleven-year-old.

"Nudge," Iggy said in one of the most serious voices Gazzy had ever heard him use, "go get the others in here, _now."_

_"I'm so sorry, Gazzy."_

_ "You heard me, boy. Over your dead body."_

Gazzy once again came out of the trance, and this time he knew that the moment was over. Without hesitation, he pushed away from Iggy and jumped to his feet. Before he even had proper balance, he was charging towards the door for all he was worth.

He couldn't let Nudge go out that door first. If she did, she would be the one that the Eraser tackled, and then she would be the one that would be killed. Gazzy was absolutely certain of it.

Gazzy was already down the stairs by the time he heard Iggy come bolting out of the bedroom. "Gazzy, wait!" Iggy yelled after him.

The eleven-year-old ignored his blind friend, because all he could focus on was the fact that the front door was wide open. Nudge was already outside, and Gazzy could swear that he heard Max's voice call to her, "What's wrong?"

_No, no, no. Oh, god, no,_ was all Gazzy could think as he set foot on the patio right outside of the front door. Nudge was far ahead of him, running towards Max, who had already landed. Angel and Fang landed right behind Max, and none of the three could see the Eraser charging through the trees, heading right for Nudge.

_I'm not going to get there in time. I'm not going to get to her!_

Gazzy's wings shot out, and he kicked off the porch and launched himself towards Nudge quicker than he had ever gone before.

Angel's eyes widened. Her head whipped around, her blonde hair flying around her head like a halo. Before she had time to shout a warning, two arms had wrapped around Nudge, sending both her and the owner of the arms crashing to the ground.

The Eraser that had lunged for Nudge went flying right over her and Gazzy.

Before the Eraser's mind had time to process that he hadn't captured his prey, Gazzy was on his back, his arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Eraser attack!" he screamed at the others. "We have to get out of here!"

No one had time to take flight. All of a sudden, there were Erasers everywhere, and the flock barely had time to steel themselves before the fight had begun.

Gazzy was suddenly yanked from the Eraser's back. Two clawed hands threw him to the ground, and without allowing his second attacker enough time to pin him down, the blonde boy was on his feet again, preparing himself for the fight. He couldn't be caught off-guard like he had been in the vision. If he was caught off-guard, then he would die.

Gazzy really didn't want to die.

Unfortunately, one of the Erasers quickly got a lucky hit off of him, crashing its fist right into the side of his head. Gazzy was on his knees in a second with the world spinning around him like a merry-go-round set at overdrive.

Oh…how Gazzy _hated_ the feeling of discombobulation….


	45. Forty Four

**A/N: I'm happy that everyone liked the last chapter! I'm trying really hard to keep updating at small intervals, and I hope I'm doing a good job. Oh, and…FOUR MORE REVIEWS UNTIL I'M AT 300! WOOT! And, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

_I hate Erasers. I hate Erasers. I _really_ hate Erasers._

That was all I seemed to be able to think as I leapfrogged over a charging Eraser, causing him to crash right into the Eraser that had been trying to sneak up on me from behind. I was given barely a second before I had to whirl around to block a swipe from a third Eraser.

There were only two things that I was thankful for at the current moment: Gazzy, Iggy, and Nudge were alright; and Gazzy had had a vision of this attack and had been able to warn us. If it hadn't been for that last one, I think we would've been overwhelmed before we even had the chance to blink.

_I hate Erasers. I hate Erasers. I hate-_

**MAX!** Angel's voice chimed clear as a bell in the back of my head. I couldn't see her (or any of the others for that matter) at the current moment, but I was certain that everyone was doing okay. If we weren't able to fend off some overgrown dogs, we wouldn't even be here today. That certainty, the only thing I had to keep myself from going insane due to worry, was shattered the instant Angel's next thought was passed to my mind: **We have to look after Gazzy! Iggy says that he had a vision where he died!**

My entire body went stiff, and the Eraser that I was currently fighting managed to knock me down onto my back. I planted my feet into his chest and jackknifed back to my feet. Making sure to but still struggling to keep my mind focused on the battle, I practically thought-shrieked at Angel, _When and where does this happen?_

**Iggy says that Gazzy won't say because he's afraid that the rest of us will get hurt if we try to save him. I can't get into Gazzy's head, either! It's all fuzzy again! Max, we **_**have**_** to look after him!**

I could hear the fear in Angel's voice. She was so scared for her big brother, just as I was frightened for my younger one.

_Don't worry, Angel. No one can beat Maximum Ride,_ I thought at her, trying to make it sound as convincing as possible. _Anyway, where is everyone?_

**I can feel that Gazzy's near us. Fang, Iggy, and Nudge are pretty far away. They're all searching for Gazzy, but they're having too much trouble in getting closer to us. The Erasers are actually pushing them away.**

I pursed my lips as I swung an Eraser over my shoulder-which was no easy task, mind you. Immediately, I spun around and slammed my fist into another Eraser's nose, and as he howled in pain, I couldn't help but wince for the same reason. My knuckles were beginning to get bloody and raw.

_Angel, tell Fang, Iggy, and Nudge to run away, but stick with each other. Fang's in charge. The new rendezvous is my mom's house,_ I thought at Angel. I was coming up with these things as I went along, and even though I didn't like the idea of being separated into two groups yet again, there really didn't seem to be an easier choice.

**They say they don't want to leave.**

Surprise, surprise.

_Tell them they have to,_ I thought at Angel as two arms wrapped around me from behind. I kicked away the Eraser that tried to come up at me from the front, then swung my legs back and struck my heels against my captor's soft spot. I was dropped in a second, and I was immediately in the fight again._ Tell them not to worry about Gazzy. We'll make sure he's alright, right?_

**Right.** A moment of silence passed as Angel passed on my message, but soon she was back, thinking, **They say okay. They're going to run into the woods, try and get a distance between themselves and the Erasers, and fly off the first chance they get. They'll be waiting at Dr. Martinez's for us.**

I sighed in relief. Of course, the relief was only momentary, because Angel's scream suddenly ripped through the air:

_"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

I managed to catch a glimpse of the eleven-year-old that I had promised to protect. Gazzy was on his knees beside a tree, clutching his chest, coughing, and gasping for air. Blood was running down the side of his face, and I was pretty confident that a couple of Erasers had chucked him into that tree.

Two Erasers were standing over him, and I knew that they were ready for the kill.


	46. Forty Five

**A/N: Ah…today was my first day of high school. I didn't die, so I guess that all's well. Also, just two reviews away from 300! WOOT! You wouldn't believe how happy that makes me! I feel like I want to scream, because I never thought that people would like my story so much! And remember, though reminding you doesn't seem to be a necessity, criticism and reviews are always welcome! (WOOT!)**

If there was ever a moment that I was thankful for Angel's mind control, it was now. The two Erasers were beginning to back away from Gazzy, and as others tried to charge in and take their place, the two Erasers actually started to defend him.

_Good job, Ange,_ I thought at Angel, then flashed over to Gazzy. Hoping that Angel could keep the Erasers at bay for just a moment, I knelt down beside Gazzy and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with wide, disoriented eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

The eleven-year-old nodded ever-so-slightly. "Just a little dazed," he said in a slow, careful voice.

I pursed my lips, helping Gazzy to his feet. He leaned heavily against me, and I had to wrap and arm around him to keep him standing. _Poor Gazzy. He warned us all and saved us, and look at the condition I let him fall to. God, I need to-_

_**MAX THEY HAVE GUNS WATCH OUT-**_

The frightened scream I heard in my head was drowned out by the scream that I heard in my ears. Immediately, I whirled to face the direction of the scream, just in time to see Angel hit the ground like a ton of bricks.

My eyes shot to the Eraser that was aiming his gun where Angel had been running only seconds ago.

It was Bane.

I felt the blood boil in my veins. Tightening my grasp on Gazzy, I shot towards Angel and scooped her up into my free arm. _Shit, shit, shit, so many Erasers. Where do I stop?_

I stopped where I was.

Like an idiot, I had tripped over my own two feet.

I ended up on my knees, but I immediately got back to my feet, pulling Gazzy up with me. The Erasers circled us, closing off any kind of path that I could have run through. Now, the only way to go was up, and with the conditions that the blonde kids in my arms were in, it didn't look like we were going up any time soon.

With no other choice but to stay where I was, I scanned Angel's body for any bullet wounds. She was already unconscious, which was _not_ a good sign. When it came to gunshot wounds that weren't life-threatening, you never passed out so quickly unless you fainted from pain. Angel, just like the rest of us, was quite accustomed to pain, so she never would've lost consciousness because of it.

My eyes landed on little needle-like things sticking out the side of Angel's neck.

I sighed with relief. I looked down at Gazzy and told him, "Just tranquilizers."

Just as those words left my lips, an Eraser separated himself from the rest and walked towards us. "Nice to see you again, Max!" Bane exclaimed, giving me that infamous sneer of his. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now, huh? You're all going back to the school, after all."

I hated the way he said that. The glee in that sadist's voice was…sickening.

An instinctive snarl met his sneer. "Over my dead body," I growled, spitting at his feet.

An unnerving grin accompanied Bane's sneer, and he cocked his head to the side ever-so-slightly. "No, Max, you're too important," he said, reaching for the gun that he had returned to his sling. His one good eye flicked towards Gazzy for a split second before returning to me. I didn't like the way his grin widened.

"How about over _his_ dead body?"

_"Max! We have to look after Gazzy! Iggy said he had a vision where he died!"_

_"Don't worry, Angel. No one can beat Maximum Ride."_

_Dear God and the Heavens above, please don't make a liar out of me._

I tightened my arm around Gazzy, holding him to me as tightly as I could. I prepared myself to kick into overdrive. Even though we were surrounded, I _was_ going to get out of there. If I had to fly with extra luggage or charge through so many barricades of Erasers, _I was going to get Gazzy out of there._

Bane must've understood my intentions. His gun was out in a flash, and the next thing that I knew, I was flat on my back with a stinging pain in my shoulder.

They had gotten me with a damn tranquilizer.

Almost immediately, I was looking up into Gazzy's blue eyes. I could tell by the look in his eyes that this was where his vision of dying had taken place. I could tell that he perfectly understood what was going to happen to him.

Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I choked out, "I'm so sorry, Gazzy."

They were the truest words that I'd ever spoken.

Then, Gazzy was yanked from my vision. I turned my head just in time to see Bane's hands wrap around his neck and tighten. Gazzy struggled and struggled and struggled…until he just stopped moving altogether.

I felt the tears break free just as I sank under the wave of unconsciousness.

**(Third Person P.O.V.)**

_"Bane! What the hell do you think you're doing!"_ Jaggers, another Eraser held in high esteem at the school, jerked Bane off of the male birdkid. "You were specifically told that he and those two other ones are no longer classified as expendable! They are to be brought in _alive!"_

Jaggers glanced down at the birdkids. All three were unconscious now, but all three were still breathing.

Shooting Bane a last glare, Jaggers turned towards the rest of the Erasers and ordered, "Alright, load them up. Tie them up well, and make sure that they're all under heavy security. We can't let them escape again."

With a snort, Jaggers added under his breath, "If those three went down so easily, it'll only be a matter of time before the other three join them."


	47. Forty Six

**A/N: Oh. My. God. 302 REVIEWS! OH MY GOD, **_**302 REVIEWS!**_** You guys wouldn't **_**believe**_** how happy that makes me! I mean…that's **_**302 reviews!**_** This didn't just make my day, this made my **_**month!**_** That just makes me so incredibly ecstatic! I mean…302 reviews! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! And remember (though I don't know why I keep putting this here…I mean…well, you know what I mean by now), criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Words wouldn't describe how lucky they were.

Fang had fought like crazy to convince Iggy and Nudge to run with him, and when Angel had told him about Gazzy's vision, Fang had fought desperately with himself as well. As if to top all that off, the title of the worst fight of all was reserved for the one with the Erasers. Several times clawed hands had raked the back of their shirts and slashed at their backs. Iggy had even had to abandon his shirt because of the grip one of the Erasers had had on it.

The run had been difficult for all of them, but Nudge was probably the one who had suffered the most. She had been barefoot for quite a while now, ever since she had abandoned her platform heels in the woods by Lake Mead while being chased by Erasers. Her feet had gotten dirty and bloodied, and one ankle had swollen to the size of a baseball.

They had all gotten hurt in the fight and the run, but somehow they had all managed to take off at the first clearing they found. After they had gotten up into the air, the only obstacles were bullets and the nets from those damned net-launchers. It was a good thing that they had gotten used to dodging such things.

Now, Fang, Iggy, and Nudge were sitting on the roof of the Martinez residence. They had gotten there only about an hour before, and seeing as it was the middle of the night, they decided not to bother Ella, Dr. Martinez, or Total (whom they'd left in their care).

"Why did we run?" Iggy continued to moan, clutching his head in his hands. "Why did we run? What if they got hurt? What if Gazzy's last vision came true?" He squeezed his blind eyes shut. _"Why did we run?"_

"Don't keep beating yourself up over it, Ig," Nudge said softly. "I'm sure that Gazzy's fine. If anyone can take care of him, Max can. Plus, Angel has the most and the best powers of the group, right? With those two with him, there's no way that Gazzy could get hurt. I mean, if we could get away, then they could probably get away, too. Usually, they're just as lucky as we are, if not more so. I'm sure that Gazzy's perfectly fine, and Angel and Max probably are, too. Don't worry about it, and don't beat yourself up over it anymore. Okay?"

Nudge was rambling as she always did, but there was no disguising the fact that she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince Iggy. Nudge was easier to read than a kid's book sometimes, which was why she was never exactly the best at comforting people.

Iggy only opened his eyes ever so slightly and murmured, more to himself than anyone else, "Why did we run?"

Fang was never exactly the best when it came to comforting people, either, so he did the next best thing: He changed the subject.

"Think we should wake them up?" Fang asked quietly, looking down at the shingles beneath his boots. "It's been awhile. They deserve to know that something's going on."

"No," Nudge said, firmly shaking her head. "We're not going to wake them up until Max, Gazzy, and Angel get here. I mean, why worry them over something pointless? I'm sure that they're going to be here any minute now, so we should just wait until they're here, and then we'll all explain the rights and the wrongs of the moment."

All Fang could do was purse his lips and look away. Nudge still had that tone of voice that made it seem like she wasn't sure of it herself. Fang, however, was more than just _sure;_ he was absolutely certain that the three weren't going to show up. He wasn't quite sure how he knew (maybe it was just the intuition that the school had programmed into them), but he was one hundred percent positive.

_We need to talk to Dr. Martinez as soon as possible so that we can start gathering up information and try to find out where Max, Angel, and Gazzy were taken. We need to start fixing the situation before it escalades to a point where it's impossible to repair. Speaking of which…god, I hope Gazzy's okay…,_ Fang thought. For the hundredth time in his life, he was glad that Angel wasn't around to read his thoughts.

Fang would've preferred it if she had been, though. If Angel had been around, that meant that Max and Gazzy would be there, too, and he wouldn't have a reason to be thinking such thoughts.

_I'm just so confused. I don't even know where to start on the search, and…oh, god, where did _that_ come from?_

All of a sudden, a throbbing headache had blossomed at the back of his head. Fang grimaced and rubbed his temple in an attempt to soothe it. If anything, though, it only made it worse, and soon the headache was progressing towards a full-blown migraine.

Fang squeezed his eyes shut and clutched his head in his hands.

Iggy was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice what was going on, but Nudge was immediately aware of Fang's position. She also realized how rare it was for Fang to show pain like that.

"Fang," she began timidly, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, "are you okay?"

Grunting, Fang pulled away from Nudge's hand, which was a mistake. It felt like his brain was slammed against his skull. The word "hangover" suddenly popped up into his head, and Fang silently swore to himself that he was never going to touch a drop of alcohol for as long as he lived.

"I'm fine, Nudge," Fang growled through gritted teeth. "Perfectly fine. Just a…a headache." _A really, really bad headache._


	48. Forty Seven

**A/N: Ah…I'm **_**buried**_** in homework. I can't believe that I'm writing this at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning! That's how deep in the work I am! Oh, well, haha. Life's life, huh? Well, anyway, remember: criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

_"Hello, little Gasman."_

Those were the words that roused Gazzy. He didn't hear them in his ears so much as he heard them in his mind, and the voice wasn't a familiar one.

Gazzy groaned lightly, squeezing his eyes shut. He was dizzy, and his mind felt foggy. He was struggling the think straight. It wasn't the kind of grogginess one felt right after waking up, but more along the lines of the disorientation one experienced after coming back to consciousness.

Consciousness.

That word made Gazzy's eyes shoot open.

He wasn't dead.

He couldn't think properly, and his neck was so sore that there were probably dark bruises around it, but he _wasn't_ _dead._

As if the feeling of discombobulation couldn't have gotten any worse, Gazzy suddenly felt himself get pulled under by the same feeling that he had had right before Max, Fang, and Angel had arrived. He wasn't having a vision…but it had to have been something along those lines.

_"My name is Diana Jacobson."_

It was in that unfamiliar voice again.

Quickly, Gazzy was propelled back into the real world. His wits were coming back to him now, and the thought to survey his surroundings finally arrived.

His light blue eyes scanned the room. It was indeed a laboratory room, as he'd been expecting. He didn't need to look to know that his wrists and ankles were shackled down to a table, and he suddenly found that he wasn't all that surprised to see that an unconscious Angel was on a table next to his, in the exact same position.

This was what had been in his second vision.

Gazzy pursed his lips and sighed heavily, resting his head on the back of the table. Well, all he could do now was wait for that woman (Diana Jacobson, he assumed) to appear and tell him something that was going to scare him.

It wasn't long before he heard a door swing open and then shut. He heard the _clack-clack_ of heels against tiles, and his eyes turned towards the woman who had entered the room. They widened upon locking with a pair of blue, identical orbs.

God.

Oh, _God._

Diana Jacobson was the spitting image of Angel.

"Hello, little Gasman," the woman said, coming to a stop beside his table. "I'm glad that you're awake now. Bane gave you some ugly bruises, didn't he?" She rested her elbows on the table so that her face was only a few inches above his. A small smile was curving her rosy lips.

Gazzy swallowed thickly, then forced himself back together. Furrowing his eyebrows and trying to make himself look at tough as possible, he said, "You're Diana Jacobson."

Her smile broadened. "Good," she said. "Your prescience has developed, and it's apparently pretty accurate, too. We were a little uncertain there for a little while if you were ever going to get it, but better late than never, hmm? Anyway, do the bruises hurt? Are you sore anywhere else? I could probably snag you some painkillers."

Gazzy wouldn't trust any drugs from a whitecoat. Glaring at Diana, he asked, "Where's Max?"

"Somewhere," the woman replied easily.

"Can you be any more specific?"

"I can."

In many ways, this conversation was going the way it usually did when a whitecoat was asking the questions. He wasn't liking her smart-aleck behavior, and he was finally getting a taste of what he and the others were always putting the whitecoats through.

_"Will_ you?"

"Not authorized to," Diana answered. "You must be sore something awful. You all took quite a beating."

Before she could give him another offer of painkillers, Gazzy said, "And I suppose you're not authorized to tell me if you captured the others or not, and why I'm in a room with Angel strapped to a table."

"No to the first one, and the second one I'm about to explain," Diana replied. Here, she tweaked his nose, and Gazzy yanked away from her as far as he could with the shackles around his wrists and ankles.

"Then explain," he ordered. During any of the other frequent kidnappings, Gazzy would be having the time of his life. He'd be laughing and making fun of the whitecoats and being a smart-aleck every chance he got. Now…something was different. Something wasn't quite right about the situation, and he wanted to find out what.

The woman sighed slightly, but the smile stayed on her lips. "Well, I was actually hoping to wait until Angel woke up, but someone's rather impatient." She tweaked his nose again.

After that, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear like it was some big secret, "My name _is_ Diana Jacobson, Gazzy…but you can just call me 'Mom.'"


	49. Forty Eight

**A/N: I hate school I hate school I hate school I hate school I hate school I hate school I hate school I-I think you get the point. I've been drowning in homework, and I'm going to try and get as many chapters of this story done today as I can, because today's the first day that I don't have much homework! So, anyway, remember: criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

_Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap._ That one sounded, which was repeating itself over and over and over, was like thunder in my ears. I was pacing around my solitary confinement room, and the heels of my boots were clapping against the cold, sterile tiles of the floor in a perfect metronome. _Clap, clap, clap, clap._

I didn't know why I was pacing. I was so exhausted, and all I wanted to do was crawl under a nice, dark rock and never come out.

_Clap, clap, clap, clap._

Pacing was a meditative habit of mine, but I knew that I wasn't walking back and forth because I was thinking. Only one thought seemed to be crossing my mind over and over and over, its tempo almost as precise as the clapping of my heels, and I wished more than anything else that it would go away.

_Clap, clap, clap, clap._

_ Gazzy. Gazzy's gone. Gazzy. Gazzy's gone._

I felt tears bite at my eyes, and I fervently tried to blink them away. They wouldn't go, though. After all, rain, rain wouldn't go away. Rain, rain was there to stay. And as long as the rain was there, so was the storm.

_Gazzy. Gazzy's gone. Gazzy's gone, and it's all your fault. You promised that you'd protect him, that there was no way anyone could defeat you, Maximum Ride, but Gazzy's gone. He's gone, and he's not coming back. You're a liar. A failure. You let this happen, and now he's gone. Gazzy's gone, and it's all your fault._

A dull ache wormed its way into my feet. It wasn't until my mind processed that pain that I was finally able to break away from that destructive chain of thoughts.

_You have to sit down,_ I told myself as I clenched my fists. _Pacing helps you think, and you don't want to think. Right now, all you want to do is lie down and go to sleep and never wake up. You have to sit down._ Despite it all, though, my feet refused to stop moving, and the footsteps refused to stop roaring in my ears.

_Clap, clap, clap, clap._

_ Gazzy's gone._

_ Clap, clap, __**clap.**_

_Gone. He's gone. Gazzy's gone._

_**Clap, clap, CLAP.**_

_ HE'S GONE, GAZZY'S GONE, HE'S-_

_Knock, knock, knock._

I stopped walking immediately. Silence followed.

"Little pig, little pig," a guttural attempt at a singsong voice called through the door, "let me come in. Or I might huff, puff, and blow your house down." I heard several things following that voice: a few beeps from the other side of the door as the code to unlock it was keyed in; the various clicks and scratches as the various locks on the door were opened; the long, monotonous beep that signaled that the door was ready to be opened.

None of those things mattered, though. All that mattered was that voice. That voice.

The voice of an Eraser. The voice of _the_ Eraser.

The Eraser that killed Gazzy.

Bane's voice.

The door swung open, and I was greeted by his ugly, sneering face. "Or have I done that already?" he asked in a low voice that seemed to be a semi-cackle.

_Gazzy. Gazzy's gone. Gazzy. Gazzy's gone. Gazzy. Gazzy's gone. And he's the one who did it._

"Little piggy, little piggy, would you like to go for a walk?" Bane asked in mock enthusiasm, just as my upper lip twitched, and I snarled:

_"I'm going to kill you."_


	50. Forty Nine

**A/N: It's starting to feel like so many of my author's notes are filled up with apologies. Anyway, I really am sorry! It's been soooooo long! I'm not even going to make up excuses this time. I'm just sorry! Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Ella was struggling to keep her grasp on sleep, but how in the world could she when a dog was beating her face half to death with one of its wings? Said dog, she noted grumpily, was still deep in sleep's clutches, despite the fact that he was kicking and beating his tiny wings like a maniac.

Total thrashed in his sleep.

_That_ was why Ella usually never let him sleep in the bed with her.

In fact, Ella was starting to regret letting him curl up next to her on that night. Sure, her heart ached in empathy for the poor thing, but _for god's sake!_

Without much hesitation, she gave the dog a good, hard shove, sending him cascading out of the bed. There was a muffled _thud_ and sharp yelp as Total hit the carpet. Ella glared over the side of her bed as the little black Scottie, and soon he was glaring right back up at her.

"What was that for?" Total snapped indignantly.

"For trying to go Mike Tyson on me!" Ella snapped back.

It took Total a moment to figure out what she meant, but as soon as he did, he most definitely was not backing down. "It's not _my_ fault I thrash in my sleep. I had a very traumatic childhood, you know," Total sniffed. One of Ella's eyebrows quirked down, and Total quickly realized that the "woe is me" act wasn't going to slide.

"I was having a crazy dream!" Total cried, now just saying something to say anything. He was surprised that this statement was actually true.

"Oh, yeah?" Ella challenged, whipping a dark lock of tangled hair from her face. She glared down at him and quickly reminded herself to keep her voice low. After all, there would be hell to pay if her mother woke up. "If it was so crazy," she hissed as loudly as she dared, "then why don't you tell me what it was about?"

Total suddenly lied down and buried his snout in his paws. He let his eyes fall to the floor, and he muttered quietly, "The flock."

"Oh," Ella said dumbly. Then, after a moment, she murmured a sad, "Oh." She stared down at the flowery pattern of her comforter, suddenly feeling horrible about being so rude to Total. After all, Total had been missing the flock so much lately. That was why Ella had let him sleep with her. Not to mention that Ella missed them, too. Especially Max.

Playing with her hair and feeling quite awkward, Ella couldn't help but wonder where the flock was. How they were doing.

They were probably still scattered all throughout the country, with Angel, Gazzy, Iggy, Nudge, and Fang being forced to lead normal lives and Max still on the run from the school. What hellish lives they must've had.

Total chanced a glance up at Ella. Feeling guilty for turning the mood into such a solemn, painful one, he got up to his feet, held his head up with all the pride he could muster, and snapped, "Besides, it's not like you're so still when you're sleeping. You're all over the place, worse than Donkey Kong!"

Ella's eyes immediately regain their fierceness. Returning the glare to Total, she began, "Shut-"

_Tap, tap._

Okay, call them paranoid, but Ella and Total immediately froze. Both had trained themselves to be aware and weary of even the most innocent of suspicious noises, and that tapping on the window had definitely been suspicious. Ella's window was on the second story, and seeing as there were no trees to scratch or a patch of roofing to stand on anywhere in front of or by it, those taps couldn't have been innocent.

Two more taps followed, and Ella and Total quickly recognized the sound of a fingertip beating against glass.

Slowly, Ella and Total turned to face the window, and they were greeting by a dark-skinned girl with messy hair hanging upside down in front of it. Nudge smiled at them and waved.

Not a second later, Valencia Martinez was awoken by Ella's and Total's shrieks.


	51. Fifty

**A/N: …writer's block. Effing, gosh-dang writer's block. I am so sorry, but I promise I am going to try and update more often from now on. I know I've promised this before, but I am really, really going to try. I have to end my current Harry Potter craze and get back into the Maximum Ride one! Anyway, remember: criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

I was screaming like a banshee. Had Bane not temporarily paralyzed me and then put me into a straitjacket, the screaming would've been accompanied by a hell of a lot of butt-kicking.

Bane sure was having the time of his life, though. He was laughing like this was all just some grand joke, like I was Jeff Dunham or some other famous comedian. Well, here was a newsflash for him: I didn't carry around little, creepy dolls, and I was _not_ playing around.

"Let me go and face me like a man!" I yelled at him, yanking my shoulders back and forth to try and loosen his grip on the back of the straitjacket. I wished that I could kick him, but I was in too awkward of a position to hit him with one foot, and I couldn't very well take both off the ground if I didn't want to hit the floor. "Too chicken to even put me in a straitjacket without me being paralyzed! _Let me go, damn it!"_

But Bane did no such thing. Now, he was just humming the words to a song I didn't recognize, as if he was browsing the aisles of a market instead of dragging a captivated girl down a corridor of a madhouse.

Finally, he came to a stop by a door that had manual locks instead of code-encrypted ones. I was willing to bet that this was where they kept either the weak subjects or the caged ones. Bane unfastened these locks, pushed the door open, and shoved me into the room.

I landed hard on my knees, but I was immediately on my feet again. I turned around just in time to see Bane shut the door. I ran to the door, but I could already hear Bane redoing the locks.

_"Come back here!"_ I screamed, ramming my shoulder against the door. _"Come back here! You killed Gazzy, you son of a bitch! Come back here!"_

I quickly realized that it was of no use. I kept screaming, though, despite the fact that I knew Bane was probably almost out of earshot by now. After a final moment of rage, I leaned against the door and squeezed my eyes shut.

I wanted the kill the monster, I really did. But I couldn't.

"Is…is Gazzy _really_…dead?"

The soft, frightened voice startled me. Not having realized that I was in the company of others, I turned around. There were three others in the room: a young woman around my age with sharp, silver eyes and long, black hair; a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and thinning hair; and a middle-aged woman with gray streaking through her hair and crow's feet beginning to sprout from the corners of her eyes.

It was the middle-aged woman who had spoken. I watched as tears began to fill her soft, hazel eyes. The man, though looking equally frightened, wrapped an arm around her in a failing attempt to comfort her.

"You know Gazzy?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Realization struck me, and I felt my eyes widen. "Oh, my god," I whispered, trying to raise a hand to my mouth in horror but not being able to due to the straitjacket. "Oh, my god."

It was not in my blood to cry, and it was definitely not in my blood to cry in public. Despite that, tears rose in my eyes. My knees felt like they were about to buckle, but I somehow managed to stay on my feet. "Oh, my god," I murmured, "you're Roger and Annette, aren't you? Angel and Gazzy's adopted parents."

The man's head lowered and then rose again in a trembling nod of affirmation. I felt my heart plummet into my stomach.

I watched them for a long moment, then said, "I helped raise Angel for the first six years of her life, and Gazzy for the first eight. My name is Max…Maximum Ride."

Silence fell. The young woman in the background watched this conversation in confusion, but no attention was given to her. Annette and Roger simply stared at me, their eyes begging for an answer to their previous question, but at the same time dreading it. Too ashamed to look them in the eye, I let my hazel eyes fall to the floor.

I owed them an answer, though.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, then fell to my knees and burst into tears.


	52. Fifty One

**A/N: I got FANG as a Christmas present, and I read it within three hours. I noticed how Fang did a lot of things that were similar to what Max does in my story. I noticed that the things were done for the same reasons. Then I remembered: HOLY CRAP MY STORY. So, here I am. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome! …O.o'**

Damn this fear that was slowly welling up inside him.

Damn the Erasers and the School and all they had done to them.

Damn the worried gazes of the others.

_Damn. This. Effing. Headache!_

It was true, the headache had decreased in intensity by a landslide, and it was true that Fang was grateful for that. It was also true that it was still there, not horrible enough to groan and moan over, but not mild enough to simply ignore. It was a very. Irritating. Nuisance.

Fang was the one who was supposed to be in charge of this group, but while he sat in the kitchen, trying to get over this headache but trying to look purposeful by staring at a map, Iggy and Nudge had had to do everything. They had to calm Ella, Total, and Dr. Martinez; they had to break the horrible news; they had to go over every detail. In fact, they were currently in the living room, answering questions.

Having been informed of Fang's headache, Dr. Martinez, Ella, and Total were trying to talk as quietly as they could (the last one of the three failing quite horribly). The result was hushed whispers that were so indecipherable that Fang just tuned them out. Every now and then, though, he would catch on to something that was being said. Like now, for instance.

"Do you have any idea where they might have been taken?" Dr. Martinez asked worriedly.

Silence was her only reply, which itself was as good as saying, "Not a clue."

The truthfulness of that silence was a greater pain than the one throbbing in the back of his head. He would never, ever show it, not in a million years and not if his life depended on it, but that helpless lack of knowledge pierced his heart worse than a bullet ever could. As stated before, he wouldn't show it, but…Max had grown so much from simply being a crush, girlfriend, ex-girlfriend/runaway, however you wanted to phrase it. In some ways more than others, she had even grown so much from being the love of his life.

She had become everything to him. Corny as it may sound, she was like the air he breathed. Without the air, he couldn't survive.

Max was the most important to him, but in the end, all three of the absentees were crucial to the flock. Max was the leader, the one who always put on a brave face and led them through the fight, the one who always looked after the others; Gazzy was that strong little soldier who could always somehow find an uplifting smile and some kind of joke to brighten up their days; and Angel…crazy as it may sound with all the things she'd done and had still yet to do, Angel was the glue of the team. They had all worked so hard to protect her, each and every last one of them, that without her, they simply couldn't function.

That was why they needed to be found.

But without any clues whatsoever as to where they were, how _could_ they be found?

Fang let out a low growl of frustration. He'd been using pushpins on the map to indicate where they could possibly be (even though he hadn't used a single one yet), and he squeezed the one in his hand until his fingers started trembling.

And that was when it happened.

Fang's headache spiked, so abruptly that he almost cried out. He tried to drop the pushpin to clutch his head in both hands, but for some reason he couldn't quite put a name to, his grip on the pushpin only tightened. Startled, Fang looked down at his hand, suddenly realizing that it had moved several states over on the map.

Without knowing why, Fang suddenly found himself reciting their names in his head. _Max, Gazzy, Angel. Max, Gazzy, Angel._

And his hand started moving again.

Without any control over his hand, Fang could only stare as it suddenly stabbed the pushpin into the map.

_That's where they are._

He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he did.

Unable not to notice the sudden, miraculous disappearance of his headache, Fang looked towards the living room and yelled, "Iggy, Nudge, they're in Kansas!"


	53. Fifty Two

**A/N: Thank god I'm back in the MR hype! It's all thanks to the Christmas present (the sixth book, FANG) my wonderful aunt got me! She seems to be the only one who ever actually bothers to read my list, haha. Anyway, I finished this chapter the same night I finished the last one, so hopefully I'll start writing at shorter intervals again! I mean, one of the biggest holidays of the year is over, and I have a couple more days until the next holiday, so I will dominate this! (:D) And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Angel had finally regained consciousness, and as soon as Diana Jacobson had told her that little bit of information she'd clued Gazzy in on a few minutes before, her first reaction was to read the woman's mind. Angel's telepathy was usually the best polygraph test in the world…except when it came to Jeb. And robots.

And this woman.

**Gazzy,** Angel thought at her brother, **I can't read her mind!**

_She's really starting to bother me,_ Gazzy thought back. _I swear, if she offers me painkillers one more time…_

**Painkillers?** For the first time since she'd woken up, Angel took a good, hard look at her brother. Immediately, she was shocked that she had somehow managed to not notice those horrible bruises around Gazzy's throat. **Oh, my god, Gazzy, are you okay?**

_A little sore, but I'm actually pretty great. I thought I was supposed to die back there, but I guess my vision was wrong on that part._

For a moment, Angel was silent, taking this information in. Gazzy was looking at her now, and both were completely ignoring whatever Jacobson was trying to say. Angel actually grinned at her older brother, because this came up as the truth on her polygraph test. **So, the crisis is averted? You're not going to die?** she thought excitedly.

_Well, I kinda think being back in the School qualifies as 'crisis,' and who knows when they're going to die, but yes, there's no more worries about that vision. Bane just knocked me out._

"So Bane was the one to do this to you."

The children were startled out of their telepathic conversation, staring at the woman who was now frowning at them. After a moment, the smile returned, and she said, "Yes, in case you're wondering, I can read your minds. As it turns out, some of the DNA-tinkering they did to me was genetic. That's how you wound up with it, Angel."

"'DNA-tinkering'?" Angel asked in confusion.

Jacobson nodded. "You're surprised. I knew you'd be," she said. "It never even crossed your minds that maybe some of the scientists here used to be experiments, much like yourselves, who, much unlike yourselves, gained the trust of the regular scientists and became ones themselves. You'd actually be surprised at how many there are here."

Angel and Gazzy shared a long look before returning their gazes to Jacobson. "So I inherited one of your powers?" Angel asked.

"Actually," Jacobson replied, "you both inherited quite of few of my powers. Telepathy, prescience, underwater respiration…" Her voice trailed of for a second, but then she smirked slightly and continued in a voice identical to Gazzy's, "…mimicry." Then, in her own voice, she went on, "You both actually have your own powers, as well. Like that interesting trick you can do with your intestinal gases, Gazzy, and your extrasensory perception, Angel. It's been fascinating, watching you discover and train with your powers. You've reached the end of your tether on what was programmed into you, and, Angel, you actually reached the end of that when you almost mastered telepathy. It's been proven that new powers can spontaneously form, though. It'd be interesting to see if you've inherited any more of mine, or if you develop any new ones of your own."

Another long look shared between siblings.

"Well," Gazzy said when he looked back at Jacobson, "that was quite a mouthful, wasn't it?"

Jacobson playfully flicked the side of Gazzy's head. "I see you two are recovering. That smart-aleck behavior that you and your friends are infamous for is starting to kick back in."

"I actually have a question," Angel said. "Is our father like you, another mutant who gained the whitecoats' trust?"

A very obvious expression of distaste immediately overcame Jacobson's face. "Not at all. Just another scientist," she replied. "I'd prefer it if you wouldn't speak about your father, though. He was a man I never married, loved, or even _liked._ Not many liked him actually, not even our director, but he was a brilliant man. I'm surprised I ended up involved with him."

Angel and Gazzy stared at each other. _Well,_ Gazzy thought at her, _now we know what our family would've been like had all four of us been completely normal people._

Angel giggled, and Jacobson's smile managed to tweak her lips again for a fleeting second.

"Unfortunately, none of us are normal," she said, "and _he_ sold you two out for money without a second thought."

There was no way Angel or Gazzy could've missed the emphasis she put on 'he.'


	54. Fifty Three

**A/N: I'm starting to feel back on track! Filler chapters should be over soon, and a fight (along with another new ability) will be coming soon! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Upon being asked how he possibly could have known such a thing, Fang explained to the others that he just _knew_ but didn't know how. Kind of like how Max knew she had a Voice but didn't know why. Iggy had immediately guessed that it was another new power, and Ella had been sent off to download and print a detailed map of Kansas off her computer.

"Goessel. I've never even heard of that place," Nudge commented when Fang stabbed a pushpin into the dot marked Goessel. "Goessel, Kansas, then, huh? Looks like a small town. Like, literally, a neighborhood-sized town. I mean-"

"Ella," Iggy interrupted, "do you think you could get us a map of Goessel?"

Ella, happy to help, ran for the stairs, calling back, "On it!"

As it turned out, there was a reason none of them had ever heard of Goessel before. Its downtown was literally the size of a very large neighborhood. Heck, there wasn't even a Wal-Mart!

The area surrounding downtown was just farmland.

Was it just Fang, or would hiding a laboratory in that kind of terrain be kind of…difficult? Not only that, but tracking it down proved to be quite the task, as well. His hand hovered above the map for well over ten minutes, but no matter how hard he focused on Max, Angel, and Gazzy, he just wasn't able to find them.

"This power is newly developed," Dr. Martinez said comfortingly, rubbing Fang's back. "It might take a while to be this specific about finding locations."

Fang nodded slightly. To the surprise of everyone there, he actually smiled at Dr. Martinez.

"I'm sorry to have to do this," he said, standing (he'd always been taller than Dr. Martinez, but now it seemed like he towered over her), "but we have to leave. We don't know what they're doing to Angel, Gazzy, and Max, so we have to find this place as soon as possible to help them. The fact that I can't be more specific only adds to that urgency. As soon as we get them, though, I swear we'll come back and visit. I'm sure Max will be happy to reconnect."

Dr. Martinez got a worried look on her face. "But surely you need to sleep," she stated. "You're welcome to spend the night."

Fang shook his head, still smiling. "Sorry. We really need to get as far as we possibly can tonight, though. We've gone several consecutive days without sleeping before. We all managed to catch some Z's last night, so we should be fine."

The middle-aged woman nodded her head understandingly. She smiled at them. "Good luck," she offered.

"Show no mercy!" Ella piped up happily, at which everyone just had to laugh.

Then, the three bird kids turned and walked out the front door.

"Quite frankly, I'm offended."

The indignant remark made Nudge, Iggy, and Fang all turn on heel to face the source.

"What is it this time, Total?" Fang half-groaned.

Total glared up at them. "Am I not a part of the flock as well?" he sniffed, turning his nose up at them. "Am I not a valuable member of the team? Would you even be alive today if it wasn't for me? Won't my impeccable skills and stunning good looks come in handy for the daring rescue of our captured friends? Won't-"

"Do you really want to come?" Fang interrupted. He tried to sound annoyed, but the slight smile tweaking his lips couldn't have been missed.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask!" Total exclaimed with a grin. Or, as much of a grin as a winged Scottie could muster.

Shaking their heads and laughing, Nudge, Fang, and Iggy took off with Total right behind them. The four of them sped off in what they hoped was the direction of Kansas, somehow feeling like another piece of their lives' missing fragments had just been restored.

Total had too much pride to admit it to their faces, but life just wasn't the same without the flock.

And no matter how much the others hated to admit it, life just wasn't the same without Total there to annoy them every step of the way.


	55. Fifty Four

**A/N: Okay, so I've been arguing with myself. The birdie on my right shoulder says I need to keep up with this story. The birdie on my left says screw the story, practice Concerto Number Two in G Major, Opus Thirteen, Third Movement (before yesterday, I had no idea that a piece of music could have such a long title, or that it could be so hard. My instructor's keeping me on my toes, even though it's only my second out-of-school lesson). Yesterday, left birdie won. Today, it's going to be the right birdie. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Even though watching Roger and Annette break down tore at my heart and made me want to do the same, I knew that I had to pull myself together. Gazzy might have been gone, but Angel was still alive. She had always been so valuable to the School, so I knew that she had to be.

As long as Angel was alive, that meant that there was someone I had to fight for in this hellhole. I was not going to let her stay here, live a horrible life, and die a horrible death. There was also the possibility that Iggy, Nudge, and Fang were here (a question that anyone I'd asked so far refused to answer), and that meant that I had to fight for them, too. If they had managed to escape, I had to get Angel and get out before they came to us and got captured.

There was also the fact that I had to contemplate how I was going to kill Bane.

So, I had to keep a clear mind.

As I looked around the room, I remembered that I had to get Roger and Annette out, too. They meant nothing to me, but they meant something to Gazzy and Angel, and obviously the two kids meant something to them. I had to help them, due to my gratitude for them taking care of Angel and Gazzy in my absence and my regret for losing someone they'd taken in as their own son.

That reminded me of the issue of the girl.

Who was she, and why was she here?

I looked at her. She looked back. "Would you undo this straitjacket for me, please?" I asked, trying to be as kind as I could.

She gave a shaky nod. As she approached, I thought I saw dried tear lines on her cheeks. I lost sight of her as she walked behind me, and after a long moment of trying to figure out how it was done, she managed to undo the straitjacket. Finally freed of the dreadful thing, I yanked it up over my head and tossed it on the floor. "Thanks," I said, and she nodded again.

Figuring everyone here was already involved, like it or not, I was comfortable enough to reveal and stretch my wings. Immediately, the young woman yelped and jumped back, silver eyes wide. "Thank you," I offered again, trying to smile.

"What's going _on_ here?" she all but screamed in return.

Okay, so maybe you didn't have to know what the situation was in order to be involved in it. "Calm down," I immediately replied. I could tell that she wasn't calm, but she seemed willing to listen. I looked over at Roger and Annette again, who were now staring at my wings, too. "Do you know anything at all about this?" I asked them.

Annette nodded slightly. "When Gazzy and Angel left with that dark-haired young man," she choked out, "Angel showed us her wings. She told us that she, Gazzy, that man, and a few others were only ninety-eight percent human, and the other two percent was bird. You were raised in a lab until someone saved you. Gazzy…" Here, her voice broke, but she continued on bravely, "Gazzy warned us to get out of the area, or the people that were after them might hurt us. We weren't quick enough, though, and men in black suits kidnapped us and threw us in here."

Okay, so they knew just about all there was to it. I returned my gaze to the girl. "Has anyone you're close to recently disappeared or ran off?" I asked her.

"Only my boyfriend," she replied. "Some girl showed up at our friend's dorm room, saying that there was trouble and they had to leave immediately. I thought he was cheating on me with that girl, so I tried to confront them in the hall. Next thing I knew, the girl was dragging Jimmy down the hall, yelling that someone was there. These two men in black suits ran past me, chasing them. I wanted to know what was going on, so as soon as I gathered myself, I ran after them. They grabbed my, stuffed me in the back of a Humvee, and brought me here."

That wasn't how Fang had escaped, and I doubt Gazzy had a girlfriend that old, so that meant that this girl was Iggy's girlfriend.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Phoebe," she replied.

"I'm sorry that this had to happen to you guys," I said, and I really was. "I was hoping that no one who the others have gotten acquainted with in the past three years would get involved. I guess I just wasn't quick enough."


	56. Fifty Five

**A/N: Mwuahaha! The fight scene (and new power) will be here quite soon. But the real reason why I'm laughing is that I'm so dang relieved that the story, believe it or not, should be finished here soon. I've been writing this for a while, after all (eleven days from now marking the one-year anniversary), and it will be good to finish my first chapter-story. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

They had just entered Goessel and were regretting their choice to bring Total along.

"You aren't acting like yourselves!" Total continued. "You must tell what's the matter immediately. Aside from the fact that Max, Gazzy, and Angel have been kidnapped."

"How do you know that's not the problem?" Iggy asked.

Total rolled his eyes and huffed, "We've all been kidnapped before. Whether on a rescue mission or being in need of rescuing, none of you have ever acted like this. You're so quiet and serious, like someone's just died or something."

All three bird-teens sighed in irritation. It was true that they'd managed to keep their calm for several hours, but now the matters at hand were refusing to be ignored.

"Someone could die soon, Total," Iggy pointed out. Nudge and Fang were being so kind as to leave all the talking to Iggy, despite how short-tempered they knew he was. "Sure, they've been wanting to capture us alive, but that could only be to run a few more experiments and then to dissect our fresh brains. We're acting like this because we're all-too-aware of the fact that the whitecoats might be dangling a deadline over their heads."

And even though Iggy was no mind-reader, he was confident that the same thought passed through the minds of all three bird-teens: _Especially Gazzy._

None of them had been able to forget his latest vision.

The worst part was that they didn't know how and when he was supposed to die.

Total had silenced, and Iggy was thankful for it. He closed his blind eyes and tried to lose himself in the world of flight. The wind smoothing itself around his lean body; his strawberry-blonde hair being blow backwards; his powerful wings manipulating the wind to its advantage with each beat. This world was so relaxing, so predictable, so controllable.

The real world wasn't. Unfortunately, the real world wasn't letting his mind go.

It was times like this that Iggy hated his knowledge and deductive abilities. He remembered his conversation with Gazzy, which had taken place only the day before.

_"You have to let me help you!"_

_"No. No, I can't. If I do, you might die, too."_

That meant that Iggy and Gazzy weren't in the same place when this happened, right? Iggy would be in harm's way if he was with Gazzy in a situation like that, and of course Gazzy would warn Iggy. But he hadn't, meaning that Iggy hadn't been nearby. In fact, it meant that his knowledge of Gazzy's vision would probably affect him leaving Gazzy.

Also, what had been with that weird mind-attack Gazzy had had right before the Eraser battle? It had been related to his prescience, but it hadn't been a vision itself. And the way he'd gone running after Nudge, like he'd somehow known about the Eraser attack.

He had known. Which meant that he'd had a vision about it.

An Eraser attack wasn't involved in any vision Gazzy had told them about.

That meant that it had been a part of the last one.

Suddenly, Iggy was feeling sick. Gazzy's vision had taken place back there at that battle against the Erasers, he was certain of it. That couldn't mean…god, that didn't…

_Was Gazzy already dead?_

Feeling his mind whirling and his stomach churning, Iggy made a sudden beeline for the ground. He heard the others call after him, could hear their wings beating as they chased him. He ignored that, though. All that mattered was the fact that Gazzy was probably already dead.

Iggy's landing was more of a crash-landing than it was anything else. He ended up on his hands and knees.

Iggy had always been short-tempered, but the rage suddenly rapidly swelling inside of him scared him. All he knew at that moment was that Gazzy, his brother, best friend, and partner-in-crime, was _dead._ That and Iggy would kill the one that did it. He would butcher the Eraser. He would _slaughter_ the Eraser.

His hand were suddenly feeling swollen. They itched terribly, and they were feeling unnaturally hot.

"What's wrong?" Nudge's frightened voice sounded in his ear. He felt her worried hands, one on his shoulder and one on his back. He yanked himself away from her, trying to push himself to his feet. He lost his balance, and Fang caught him.

When Iggy tried to wrestle away from Fang, Fang's grip tightened, and soon Iggy found himself pinned against the ground. "Calm down," Fang ordered, trying to sound stern, though Iggy could hear the worry in his voice. "Tell us what's wrong, Iggy. Tell us."

"What's wrong?" a new voice suddenly intervened. All three bird-teens and the bird-dog immediately froze. "What _isn't_ wrong?"

Fang was off of Iggy and had yanked the red-haired young man to his feet in an instant. Iggy felt Nudge's presence on his other side, and he didn't doubt that Total was by her feet.

_"Bane,"_ Fang growled.

Bane laughed, and suddenly Iggy felt like he was bursting at the seams with rage. He wasn't just going to kill the Eraser that killed Gazzy. He was going to kill as many as he could get his hands on.

Starting with Bane.


	57. Fifty Six

**A/N: My longest chapter yet! It's also one of my favorites, admittedly, even though it's kind of slapped together. And happy New Year to one and all! Anyway, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Iggy managed to keep enough of his wits to hold himself back. He couldn't charge yet. He knew for a fact that Bane was not the only Eraser there. Nudge, Iggy, Fang, and Total had a much better chance of escape if they did a collective attack. So, all he could do was stand there and seethe.

"They're behind us, too," Iggy heard Nudge whisper. "We're surrounded. The only way out is up."

Of course, they couldn't go for the air yet. The Erasers would expect it, and their ankles would be grabbed before they had the chance to get out of reach. They were going to have to fight. Iggy didn't have a problem with that at all. The pain in his hands was worsening by the second.

Stalling was a natural reaction of the flock's, and something that they had become skilled at. Total being the best, of course.

"I see we have some dog chow," Total growled.

Bane smirked. "I see _I_ have some dog chow," he corrected.

Total glared at him. "Why don't you just turn around and go back the way you came?" he snapped. "There can't be more than fifteen of you here. You know the four of us can deal with fifteen Erasers _easy."_

Bane let out a small laugh. "But apparently your three friends didn't fair very well," he replied. "I took them all out myself. A tranquilizer for the little girl. A tranquilizer for the big girl. For the little boy…" Here, his voice trailed off, and all he did was laugh.

He had no idea how big of a mistake he'd just made. Now Iggy had the culprit.

"What'd you do to Gazzy?" Fang growled, his voice merely a façade of composure while a terrible fear dwelled beneath.

"Isn't is obvious?" Bane laughed. "I killed him."

Fang's heart dropped down into his gut. Even though he didn't look it, if he had been attacked at that second, he would not have been able to fight back. Nudge visibly flinched, her previously fists clenched relaxing and falling down by her hips. Total looked like he didn't believe it. Iggy's hands felt like they were about to catch fire.

"Killed…him?" Nudge's voice was hoarse as she quietly repeated those two words.

"I did," Bane replied. His laughter screamed in Iggy's ears.

For a long moment, none of the four spoke. Then, Fang roared, _"D AND C!"_

Divide and conquer.

An immediate loose circle was formed by the four. Wings snapped out, and they used their wings to launch themselves forward.

And who was Iggy headed for? Bane, without a doubt.

Bane had killed Gazzy, his baby brother. There was no way _in hell_ that anyone was going to stop him from killing the monster that had taken away grinning, laughing, happy Gazzy. No way in hell.

He flew at that sick laughter for all he was worth. Bane silenced, and Iggy's fine-tuned ears heard the air shift as the Eraser stepped out of the way of the attack. Immediately, Iggy changed course to the right by about ten degrees. Bane must not have seen this coming, because the red-haired young man felt his body slam right into the Eraser's.

It was a no-brainer that the impact made the teeth in Iggy's mouth rattle, and he was surprised that he actually managed to knock Bane to the ground. A light-boned, skinny-as-a-twig seventeen-year-old would usually bounce right off of a very tall, very muscular, very sturdy wolf man.

The surprise didn't delay his actions, though. Without giving Bane time to react, Iggy straddled him and immediately began to hit him as hard and as fast as he could. Of course, not long passed before Bane forced him off, but Iggy knew that he had done some damage. He was certain that he had felt a crunch when his fist had connected with the Eraser's nose.

Still, Bane was laughing maniacally.

Iggy felt his blood boil. A man who could kill a sweet, carefree child-a man who could kill _Gazzy_ had no _right_ to laugh. Iggy clenched his fists so tightly he could feel his nails digging red crescents into the soft flesh of his palms.

With a scream of fury, Iggy went at Bane again.

But all Bane did was laugh. Laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh.

_"STOP LAUGHING!"_ Iggy screamed, and, suddenly, his ears were filled with a deafening roar. The air around him was feeling much to heavy, much too hot, and there was a distinct stench of smoke tainting it.

A fire? Who the hell had started a _fire?_

Through the haze of wrath, Iggy's mind processed that he had to get out of there. His hearing was impaired by the shriek of the flames; he was already sweating too much from the heat; and he was choking on just the repugnant odor of smoke, let alone the smoke itself. He wouldn't be able to last much longer in the fight with those three disadvantages weighing him down.

Just as Iggy spread his wings to take off, the rage took full control again.

No way in hell. _No way in hell._

That was all Iggy could think as he strained his ears to locate the monstrosity that had stolen his baby brother away from them. No way in hell could Iggy let that go. No way in hell was Iggy not going to satisfy that vengeance inside of him that was burning far brighter and much hotter than the fire around him ever could.

Bane finally stopped laughing. He was snarling now.

"You little…" His voice trailed off, but soon picked up again. "You wanna know how I killed him?" he teased angrily.

All Iggy did was charge at Bane again. Bane managed to dodge. "It was so easy," the Eraser continued. "He was so weak and disoriented. After I tranquilized your leader, it was as easy as walking up to him."

Iggy did not want to hear anymore. He could hear the others screaming at him to get out of there. Their voices were coming from the sky, so they were already prepared to leave. Iggy was the only reason why they hadn't left. Even though Iggy didn't want to endanger them, he could not let Bane escape.

He went at Bane again, and this time he felt his fist collide with something. Bane's jaw. Bane struck back, managing to swipe Iggy across the face. He almost took his nose off, but Iggy jerk back before the claws could do more than graze the flesh on his nose.

"I pinned him to the ground," Bane continued relentlessly. "He was so scared that every Eraser there could smell it. I wrapped my hands around his throat, and I squeezed. He tried to push me off, tried to fight me, but he couldn't. He was just too weak. Finally, his eyes closed. He lost consciousness."

_Why wouldn't Bane just shut up?_

"He was limp. But I only squeezed tighter.

"When I finally let go, he didn't breathe in again."

That leer was on Bane's face. Iggy couldn't see it, but he knew it was there. He just _knew_ it. "It was too easy," Bane snarled. "I was expecting more. But I guess all that boy ever was, was a _weakling."_

"SHUT UP!" Iggy yelled. He came too close to the fire, and he barely yanked himself back before he got more than singed.

"But maybe, maybe if he'd had someone stronger there to _protect_ him-"

Iggy's fist connected solidly with Bane's mouth.

At the same instant, Fang bellowed, _"Iggy, the fire's taking everything over! If you don't get out of there NOW, you'll die! GET OUT OF THERE!"_

Bane was going to die in this fire. So were the other Erasers. Iggy wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing he had killed them himself, but he would know that they had died horrible, painful deaths. That was all that mattered to him.

He stretched out his wings and immediately took to the air.

A clawed hand around his shoe stopped him short.

_"BURN IN HELL, YOU BASTARD!"_ Iggy yelled at the at Bane, then slipped his shoe off. He sped off into the air and away from the fire. Soon, he became conscious of Nudge, Fang, and Total around him. "Where did the fire come from?" he grinded out.

There was silence from the other three. Then, Nudge sighed heavily and replied, "You. The fire came from you, Ig."


	58. Fifty Seven

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I'm in a competitive extracurricular activity, and we've been practicing like crazy lately because the official tournament is in three days. Unfortunately, I will only have four people there to hang out with. The rest of the members are big, scary sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Times like those, I really feel like a weak little freshman. (T.T) Anyway, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

**And, WAIT A SECOND. I missed the one-year anniversary of this story? DANG IT. I was looking forward to it so much, too.**

Gazzy and Angel had been in this room for what had to have been hours. They wished that they'd at least been given a room that had a window, so that they could tell night from day. And that they didn't have to be _strapped down._

Diana Jacobson had come, gone, and come again. She was the only living creature that the two had seen since they'd woken up.

That was, until the door to the room opened, and an Eraser stepped in. His first thought, obviously directed to Jacobson, popped into Angel's mind, clear as a bell: _I have some news about Bane and the rest of the avian children._

Angel immediately zeroed in on his mind. The Eraser's eyes whipped towards her, and she could feel him trying to repel her. His attempts were no match for Angel, though, and it took her less than a second to tap into his mind and steal the information she wanted. Shocked, she pushed forward, trying to get more-

And that was when she felt Jacobson push her out of the Eraser's mind.

Angel had enough, though.

**Gazzy,** she thought at her older brother, **they weren't able to catch Fang, Nudge, and Iggy back there at the E-house. A group of Erasers was sent after them, and they ran into them near the border of whatever state we're in, and they had Total with them. Iggy's developed a new ability, just like you! He can control fire! That's how they got away from the Erasers in their most recent fight. All of the Erasers except for Bane died. Bane's currently in surgery.**

Gazzy grinned at his little sister. _Go, Iggy!_ Angel sensed a sort of sheepishness from him, and he added, _Oh, we didn't have a chance to tell you. Nudge developed one, too. Intangibility._

Angel smiled at Gazzy. **She might be needing it. They can't have just shown up in the state we're in by coincidence, could they have? They have to know where we are! They're coming to get us!**

_Which means they'll be here soon. Wait until Jacobson's gone to continue this conversation. I don't think I want any eavesdroppers._

Angel nodded and tried to give a thumb's up gesture. Her tender wrist was scraped against the side of a shackle. It hurt like that proverbial fiery place.

"Well, you know my opinion of that Eraser," Jacobson was saying to the Eraser who had come in. "What does it matter to me that he's hurt? Let him die, for all I care. Wait, let me correct myself: Let him die." She shook her head. "Honestly, Jaggers, he's out of control. I mean, you literally had to pull him off my son!"

Immediately, Gazzy's eyebrows furrowed. That Eraser, Jaggers, had kept Bane from strangling the life out of him?

Jacobson took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. When she faced the children again, she seemed to have regained her rosy demeanor.

"Well, now that I have authorization and Jaggers is here to escort us, I think we can finally go on a little trip. What say we go see your friend Max?"


	59. Fifty Eight

**A/N: I am a bad person. I haven't updated this in four months. I've gotten so rusty with it that I had to go back and reread it myself to catch back up. It's pretty bad when the author has to do that. I know where I am now, though, and I only have one issue THAT INVOLVES A SPOILER ALERT. So, if you want to help me out on it, you have been warned. If not, skip ahead to the story. Here is the spoiler: What should Max's new power be? Remember, criticism, reviews, and help are always appreciated!**

They'd been flying for well over an hour now. The urgency of saving the others had dulled dramatically, for now they were making their umpteenth lap around this little town in Kansas. The silence that consumed them was absolute.

Dead.

The word didn't seem real to them. They were meant to be invincible, right? After all the battles, sieges, escapes, and hellish situations they'd fought through and survived, death seemed impossible. Of all the shit bombs that their freakishly wretched life had thrown at them, they had emerged laughing, grinning, and yelling about how awesome that just was. For actual damage to be inflicted…for one of them to actually die…

Dead.

Gazzy?

It couldn't be true.

Finally, someone found the courage to break the silence. Unfortunately, he made the others want to break his head. "That oversized oaf was lying," Total declared confidently, holding his nose high in the air. He'd been debating this in his head the entire time, and this was his final conclusion. "We're close to saving the others, so he came up with the best way to throw us off long enough for this School to prepare for our arrival. I mean, why tranquilize Max and Angel but kill Gazzy? It doesn't make sense."

"Because the School doesn't care about him," Nudge said. The words shocked the others, and Nudge quickly explained, "They never have. They've only ever cared about Fang, Max, and Angel. You were the important ones, the remarkably successful experiments that left other scientists in awe. Me, Iggy, and Gazzy, though…we couldn't do anything impressive, like control people, go invisible, or have super-speed. We've always had the subtle abilities, the ones only necessary in certain situations. We've always been the less clever ones, the less powerful…the weaker."

The others were stunned into silence. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they supposed that they had always known this to be true. Max, born to save the world; Fang, everything that Max was and more, in some places; Angel, programmed with so many extraordinary abilities. Sure, Nudge could hack, Iggy could see colors despite being blind, and Gazzy could mimic people…but in comparison to the others, they were almost nothing.

"But things are different now," Total tried again. "So far, you, Gazzy, and Iggy have been the only ones to inherit new abilities. You guys might just be a bit behind the others, is all. If anything, you three should be wanted alive to see what you can become."

Nudge smiled bitterly against the wind. Fang couldn't believe she was finding the courage to finally come out into the open with this. "You've forgotten Fang, Total. He just got a new ability, too. I don't think this is a time for me, Gaz, and Ig to shine. It's a time for all of us to become a little more advanced. If Max, Angel, and Fang have been so amazing so far, imagine what could happen with this next wave of powers. And if the other three of us have basically been duds…"

Nudge didn't have to finish.

Iggy's blind eyes squeezed shut. He suddenly went into a nose-dive.

The others screamed for him, but he ignored it. Nudge's words repeated viciously in his ears: _Dud, dud, dud, dud…the School doesn't care about him, they never have…the less clever ones, the less powerful…the weaker…weaker…weaker…_

Then, Bane: _I guess all that boy ever was, was a _weakling.

_He isn't,_ Iggy thought furiously, his strawberry blonde hair whipping across his face. _He isn't. He never was. Gazzy is _not_ a dud, he is _not_ weak…he wasn't._

Finally, there was solid earth beneath his feet. Iggy tumbled to his knees, pulling at his hair, screaming. He felt Nudge's hands on his shoulders only seconds later, but he ripped away from her. A vicious look was now on his face. "How could you?" he yelled at her. He could feel her shock, could practically see her stricken face. "He's not weak! He's not a dud! Or…he wasn't. He was never weak! How can you say that when he saved you from that Eraser just yesterday? He saved your life! And he refused to tell us what his vision was about because he wanted to protect us! That isn't weak! That's strong…he was stronger than any of us ever knew!"

"Oh, my god." Nudge's voice was trembling. "I didn't mean…oh, I am _so_ sorry, Iggy, I didn't mean it to sound like that. I didn't mean to call Gazzy that."

"Shut up!" Iggy was beginning to sob now. He was not the type of person to cry. Anger was his favorite emotion, the one he always reverted back to when he was hurt. That was his defense mechanism, that was how he coped with things. But now…the tears wouldn't stop coming. The anguish was forcing its way into him, drilling itself straight into his heart.

Two arms locked around Iggy. Fang. Iggy tried to push away from the dark-haired young man, tried to get away, but Fang refused to let go. "Stop fighting me, Iggy," Fang said quietly. "Three years ago, I made a horrible mistake. I let Max's disappearance drive us apart. I have never regretted anything more…and now that we're back together, that we've fought so hard to stay together…I won't let anything do that to us again."

Iggy slowly stopped struggling and just collapsed against Fang, sobbing. After a moment, he felt Nudge's arms snake around him from behind, and her face bury itself in his back. He didn't pull away from her this time. Total crawled up next to him, resting his paws on Iggy's leg.

"Gazzy is gone now, and that kills me just as much as it does you, but now isn't the time to break. Now is the time to stay strong, because Max and Angel still need us. When we have them again, when we're all finally together again, we can cry. But now…now is the time for action."


	60. Fifty Nine

**A/N: Once again, I have to say that I'm a bad person. Letting Max, Iggy, Nudge, and Fang believe that Gazzy's dead…I really must remedy that. Buuuuuut, because I'm sadistic enough to enjoy watching my characters suffer, it might not be for a while. Except for Max. Hehehe. Plus, if anyone cares, I made a poster for this story, like it's an actual book. It should be up as my avatar here in a couple days. Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

"My, my, my." The new voice cut through our little cry-fest, startling four pairs of eyes to the blonde whitecoat who'd just entered the room. I could imagine how contemptuous she was of us. Two weak regular humans and a mutant sobbing on the floor while a girl who had no idea what the hell was going on tried to comfort us. "I'd hate to interrupt such a touching moment, but I think I might be able to help."

I was on my feet in a second, body tense and ready for action. "You're a monster," I seethed. "You and all the others…" My hands curled into fists. I could feel myself trembling in rage. "I swear I'll kill you all."

My threat fell on deaf ears. She just gave me that stereotypical 'I-don't-think-so' look I'd seen on countless others. Go ahead, ask me what happened to those countless others.

I took one step towards her. She wasn't fazed. I was about to lunge when suddenly my body locked up, no longer under my command. Shock tore through me like lightning, but her expression didn't change a bit. **Stand down, Maximum,**the whitecoat's voice rang in my head. Her blue eyes almost seemed to be glowing. **I'm trying to help you.**

Taking a closer look at her face, I saw that she was near identical to Angel and Gazzy. Her powers were so similar to Angel's that there was no doubt as to who she was.

_Help me?_

**Yes.**

"Jaggers, you may come in. I have Maximum under my control, so she will not try to escape." It took me a moment to realize that she said this out loud.

The door reopened. I watched as an Eraser's arm became visible, shoving Angel inside. My poor little girl. I'd failed to watch after her brother. She still grinned as she saw me though, breaking my heart. The Eraser's body came into view, then his other arm…dragging a familiar blonde, wild-haired boy along with it.

My heart leapt into my throat.

_Gazzy?_

As if hearing my thoughts, Gazzy's eyes turned on me. He grinned, lighting up his boyish face. He was bruised viciously around the neck where Bane had choked him, but he was alive. Unless-

**It's really him, Max.** Now, it was Angel's voice in her head. **Bane only strangled him until he was unconscious. He confused that for death in his vision.**

"Gazzy," I managed to whisper around the whitecoat's control. She smiled and left the room. Jaggers released the children, following suit. The door slammed shut behind him, and the telltale clicking of locks quickly followed, but none of that mattered. I didn't care if my legs were still sore from being shredded just the other day. I didn't care if Fang, Nudge, and Iggy were probably murdering that annoying mutt Total by now. I didn't even care if I was trapped in a hospital for the criminally insane, full of looney tunes who wanted to dissect my brain. All that mattered was that _Gazzy was alive._

I was released from the whitecoat's control. At that moment, we all seemed to be freed from some kind invisible vice. I rushed at Gazzy like he was the last chocolate chip cookie in the universe, hugging him tightly against me. "Oh, my god, I thought you were dead," I cried, squeezing the stuffing out of him. "I was about to slaughter Bane!"

"Well, don't let me being alive stop you from doing that," he replied, his voice muffled by my windbreaker. I laughed, more out of utter relief than humor. Right when I was certain that I'd never let go, Gazzy's enthusiastic hug all but vanished. I released him, gazing down at him with surprise. His eyes were staring behind me.

Gazzy walked around me and took a few hesitant steps towards his adopted parents. Angel was already hugging Annette. "Roger? Annette?" The saddened shock in Gazzy's voice hurt. I guessed Angel hadn't told Gazzy about her little revelation.

Annette was crying again, though she was smiling from ear-to-ear. Roger pulled Gazzy into a strong, paternal, and loving hug. With Angel still in one arm, Annette hugged Gazzy. Though the blonde children looked nothing like Annette and Roger, they looked like a true family. Unlike the kids' biological parents, these two would never give them away. Not for all the money in the world.

I couldn't help but smile. Remembering the devastated looks on their faces when they found out their parents had sold them, I knew that Gazzy and Angel deserved this. They deserved parents who would go through hell and back just to hold them in their arms.

Unlike that whitecoat that had just left the room. Suddenly, I felt bitter, thinking about that cruel woman. There was no way she _couldn't_ have been their biological mother. How could someone just sell their child like that?

Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was Phoebe, who'd been trying to comfort us, to whom our names and identities were a mystery. She was smiling at the family, too, but soon she felt my eyes on her and looked my way. "You must be pretty goshdang confused," I said.

She nodded a little. "Would you, um…would you mind explaining the werewolves and wings and being kidnapped and all that to me? I might look calm, but I think I'm bordering on hysterics."

_With good reason,_ I thought. "Well, Phoebe, first off, the name's Ride. Maximum Ride. But you can just call me Max."


	61. Sixty

**A/N: Aww, reviews have been so scarce. I suppose that's my fault. But stories can't survive without love! So, please, pretty please remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

"I don't see anything. Are you sure this is the right place?"

Fang barely bothered glancing at Total. "I'm certain. I can feel that they're there," he replied. Now, he kept his eyes straight ahead. Though he looked calm, the fury boiling up inside of him was almost palpable. If Total had bothered to look closer, he would see Fang's clenched fists, his trembling body. He'd understand then that Fang was not always a stone-cold second-in-command.

No. In fact, Fang felt about the same as Iggy and Nudge at that moment.

But he didn't let it show.

Speaking of Iggy and Nudge…Fang realized that Total _was_ speaking of Iggy and Nudge. "When are they going to get back?" Total whined. Fang guessed that he still didn't believe that Gazzy was really dead. "I've been practicing my martial art skills over the past three years, and I want to show them what I've got!" He rambled on. Fang didn't bother to pay any more attention.

Iggy and Nudge had gone to the nearest town to pick up the supplies Iggy needed. Of course, seeing as Iggy couldn't have fun with his arts and crafts while flying, they wouldn't be back until he was finished. Bombs weren't exactly quick things to make, especially not in the quantity that Iggy wanted. They'd been gone for a couple hours, so Fang knew that they would probably be back soon.

Fang felt the need to make a point to Itex. If you shed the blood of one of ours, we'll shed the blood of countless more of yours. If you kill one of ours…Though Fang wasn't skilled when it came to making explosives, he had his own way of proving his point. And rest assured, he _would_ prove his point. He'd do whatever he had to, just to make Itex understand that if they messed with his family, he would mess them up.

And now that he was able to locate them no matter where they were, he knew _who_ to mess up.

Fang looked into the distance. He and Total were circling their destination. Total was right, though: there was nothing to be seen. All that there was inside their circle was all that there was outside of it: nothing. Grass. Coyotes. More grass. Fang wondered how that could be possible. Had they managed to craft some sort of cloaking device?

_This isn't Star Trek,_ Fang reminded himself, _but I have no idea how big this place is. I hope Total and I are flying far enough away. Wouldn't want to set off any alarms yet._

He smirked humorlessly at that thought. _But, as soon as we're ready, the alarms are gonna be blaring. No need to be stealthy. We're storming the castle for Gazzy…AND stealing the jewels for the others. Funny mix._

Suddenly, Fang realized that Total was still speaking. Though that didn't come as much of a surprise, that fact that Total was yelling Fang's name was. When Fang finally looked at him, Total glared back. "Why, I never!" he cried indignantly. "I was going to tell you that the others are finally returning, but evidently you care _soooo_ much. Why must I be so underappreciated? I've done naught to deserve it! Oh, woe is me, woe is me," he moaned. Fang guessed he didn't realize how much an idiot he sounded like.

Fang used his raptor vision to zone in on the direction Total had nodded. Sure enough, Iggy and Nudge were flying back towards them with newly acquired backpacks. They must've used some crafty five-finger discount skills to land them some clocks, wires, whatever else was involved in bomb-making, _and_ backpacks. After a second, Fang noticed that Nudge was barefoot and Iggy wearing only one shoe. Both had lost footwear in Eraser battles.

Soon, Iggy and Nudge were flying on either side of Fang. "How many did you make?" Fang asked.

"Ten big boys, fifteen little boys," Iggy replied. Fang was impressed. Twenty-five bombs in two hours. Fang was pretty sure that that was a personal record of his. Probably beat Gazzy's record. He'd have to tell Gazzy-

Except Gazzy was no longer around to tell.

That vicious bitterness flooded the dark-haired young man once more. He narrowed his eyes and took a sharp right, wordlessly telling the others to follow. He led them the entire way, black wings looking like cut-outs against the bright, blue sky. He looked for all the world like an avenging angel. He probably was, at that moment.

Hell, they all probably were.

Itex had to learn.

_If they kill one of ours, we will kill so many more of yours._

Killing wasn't exactly a hobby of the bird-children and bird dog, but all of them (excluding Total and Angel) had done it before, and they wouldn't hesitate to do it again. After all, in a kill or be killed world, there wasn't much else you could do. Especially when, every second of your life, someone was trying to kill you.

_It's funny,_ Fang suddenly thought. _Max was born to save a world that wants her dead. How ironic._

Fang felt the others directly beneath him. Immediately, he fell into a nosedive. Iggy, Nudge, and Total were quick to follow. They rushed downwards, hair being blown to the sky, eyes narrowed with absolute hatred. Suddenly, they all gave a short, quick flap of their wings, forcing their torso to level up with their legs and helping to break the fall. They folded in their wings then forced their legs downward.

Their feet slammed down on the grass. "We're here," Fang announced as he stood from his kneeling position. He closed his eyes, trying to zone in on Angel and Max, trying to find them. For just a second, he saw a flash of them; Max speaking to some girl, Angel hugging some woman. It was gone in a millisecond. Fang reopened his eyes, surprised to feel the two girls beneath his feet.

Fang looked at the others. "It's underground."


	62. Sixty One

**A/N: Closer, indeed, lillypad22. After a year and a half of writing this dang, frustrating story, we are finally nearing the climax. FINALLY. And, for fnick's sake, I couldn't upload the poster as my avatar because it was too big. So, I made an account on DeviantArt and posted it there. THEN it took me a half hour to find it after I logged out so I could get the URL. Finally, I got it. If you want to check out the poster I drew, it won't let me copy and paste the URL into my story, but check it out on my profile. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome.**

**Max, the others are coming to save us.**

I was startled out of my detailed explanation to Phoebe (she had absolutely no idea what to say when I told her that her boyfriend was a mutant freak, and I can't say that I blame her). I told Phoebe to hold on a second, then replied, _How do you know that? How do you know that they know where we are? Heck, _we_ don't even know where we are, and we're there._

**Earlier, I got into an Eraser's head. There was a fight earlier at the border of the state we're in. It was a pack of Erasers versus, Iggy, Fang, Nudge, and Total. Iggy got a new power - controlling fire - and he started a fire. Only Bane survived, and he's in surgery right now. You don't think it's just a coincidence that they came to the state we're in, do you?**

My mind registered four things at once:

1) If it was a coincidence, it was a hell of a one. 2) Iggy, the pyromaniac we all know and love, could control fire now. That wasn't a good thing. 3) Bane was still alive. Damn it. And 4) they actually brought Total. I really wasn't in the mood for a headache.

Angel laughed. **Aw, c'mon Total isn't that bad.**

_I beg to differ. Anyway, just in case, keep your mind open for them. The second you feel their presence, if you do at all, tell me. It's best if we meet them halfway and save them half the work._

**A rescue mission and an escape attempt at the same time. Itex won't know what hit 'em.**

I smirked. _No, they won't._ Then, I returned my attention to Phoebe, who was giving me a funny look. "Sorry," I said, giving her a grin. "That little girl over there, Angel, is a telepathic. She just wanted to tell me something."

Phoebe's eyes got bigger than they already were, if that was possible. "You mean…you guys have super powers, too?" she cried out.

"Yep. Angel has the most and the best, though."

"And…and Jimmy?"

"Jimmy?…oh, you mean Iggy. He's blind, but against a completely white backdrop, he can see things. And he can feel colors. Sometimes, after we get kidnapped and separated, when we see him again, he pulls a shocked face and tells us he can see. We all believe him and get freaked out, but then he laughs and calls us idiots. Oh, and he loves making bombs."

Phoebe swallowed thickly, slowly nodding. She was trembling. Her eyes were wide with confused disbelief, and I didn't doubt that she was hysterical. She was taking this all in pretty well. I could imagine what she was thinking: _This can't be real. I can't believe that this is happening. But this is happening, so it has to be real._

This was why I pitied normal people. They never had an open mind. (Then again, neither did I. But that's besides the point.)

Well, then again, I supposed the whitecoats were normal people. Well, completely human, at least. In my opinion, their minds were _too_ wide.

Suddenly, my mind returned to that woman, the one who I thought to be Gazzy and Angel's mother. Like Angel, she was telepathic, and she could control my body. But she was a whitecoat. Whitecoats + little harmless babies = experimentation was perfectly normal to me. After all, that was the biggest reason why I hated them. Whitecoats + themselves = experimentation would be a reason to hate them a little less…but it just didn't make sense.

**Her name is Diana Jacobson.**

I blinked in surprise. _What?_

**That woman you're thinking about, our biological mother. Her name is Diana Jacobson. She says that she used to be an experiment, just like us. She gained the whitecoats' trust and had a skill in whitecoatery, so they let her become one.**

I tried to imagine myself as a whitecoat. After a couple seconds, I gave up. I had never had much fashion sense, but I couldn't see myself dropping so low that I'd wear a white coat. I mean, the crazy face and "I want to kill you" demeanor were much easier to imagine, but the white coat? The entire essence of being a whitecoat? Nahh.

"And…Iggy…you say that's his real name?" Phoebe asked, drawing me out of my twisted thoughts.

"Well, no. His biological name is James Griffiths. I mean, that's what's on his birth certificate, and probably on the useless tombstone meant for a dead baby. But, he grew up with the name Iggy. I mean, none of us even had a real name until seven years ago, when we escaped and this guy named Jeb gave us the idea."

"So he named himself?" Phoebe asked.

"Pretty much. We all did. Except Angel and the Gasman. They were too little, so me and Jeb named them. And Nudge named herself Monique, but we call her Nudge. But me, Fang, and Iggy did."

Phoebe suddenly made a face, and I knew what question was coming. "How in the world did he come up with the name Iggy? I mean, Angel, Gasman, and Fang I can understand, because that kinda pertains to who they are, I guess, because they're not real names." Angel was a real name, but I knew what she meant. "Monique I can understand, because that's a common, pretty name." She seemed confused. "But Iggy?"

I laughed. "We were pretty confused, too. I don't know where it came from, but Iggy was hell-bent on naming himself Iggy."

**Though you're having such a lovely conversation, Max,** Angel interrupted in my mind for the third time in the past five minutes, **I have something kind of important to tell you.**

_Oh? And what's that?_

**The others are here. But they don't know how to get in.**


	63. Sixty Two

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. We just moved. We've owned two houses for a couple years, and our two cats (who hate dogs) stayed in one and our dog (who hates cats) stayed in the other. We've officially moved into one. My cats are locked up in a room, but they know there's a dog in the house, and they aren't happy. My dog can't see the cats, but he knows they're in the house, and he isn't happy. Oh, jolly day. Anyway, please remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

"Joseph."

A skinny-shouldered man with a ginger buzz cut glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, Ray?" he asked, repositioning his bifocals so as to better see his pudgy, balding friend.

Ray was making a face at the monitor in front of him. In the corner, two words blinked in a bright, neon red: _Intruders detected._ "This things saying that there're people above us, but I don't see anyone," he stated, leaning closer to the monitor as if that would help matters any. He squinted his already squinty eyes, trying to get a better look. "Just a bunch a grass. That's all this damn town ever has, is just a bunch of grass."

Joseph returned to his own monitor, polishing his plastic security badge. "Ehh, don't worry about it. Probably just some birds, is all."

**((…they don't know how right they are…))**

"I can't believe this."

The three bird-children tried not to glare at the mutant Scottie. The mutant Scottie tried not to notice. "Through sheer luck, Fang got a new power that tracks people down, at the most convenient of times. Through sheer luck, Iggy got a new power that's a fast-track way of getting rid of Erasers, at the most convenient of times. Now, we're finally here to where our friends are, and thank god Fang's been working on his invisibility so that we're all covered, but…we're so close…and we have no clue on how to get inside."

He sighed. "Lady luck usually doesn't like us enough to give us two strokes in a row…and I'm certain she's not going to give us a third."

"Don't worry, Total, we're used to her not giving us any at all," Nudge muttered. She was down on her hands and knees, searching through the tall grass for any sort of irregularity whatsoever. So far, nothing. After all, Fang's power could do nothing but sense the location of a living thing. When it came to how to get to that location…nada. It seemed he couldn't sense inanimate objects, either, because he had absolutely no idea where the entrance was.

"But our powers have been incredibly useful so far," Iggy said suddenly, the first words he'd spoken since giving the bomb report to Fang. "They've given us a lot of heads ups and helped us out of a lot of sticky situations…" His voice trailed off. His milky eyes moved in Nudge's direction. "Like when Bane had that gun between your eyes, Nudge."

Fang froze. Sensing his concern, Nudge quickly explained, "It was when I chased after the Erasers when they kidnapped Iggy and Gazzy." Gazzy's name was a sore spot, but she pushed on. "Bane grabbed me and almost shot me, but apparently I gained intangibility. Bullets went right through me without leaving any damage, and I slipped right through his arms."

"Exactly, Nudge," Iggy said in a quiet voice, sounding as if he was trying to help her understand the significance of that. "You slipped. Right. Through."

Nudge was quiet a moment, wondering what Iggy meant. Then, her jaw dropped. "You're not serious…?" her voice trailed off. Iggy nodded, showing that _yes,_ he _was_ serious. "You want me to fall into that place?" she squeaked. "I've only used that ability once, and that was by accident! Even if I do manage it, will I be able to turn it off? What if I end up in the center of the earth? What if I end up in China? China's pretty far away from where I need to be right now!"

Iggy rolled his eyes. "If it'll make you feel any better, Fang, Total, and I will do it with you. You hold Total, I'll hold your hand, and Fang will touch your arm. If your intangibility is anything like Fang's invisibility, then you should be able to pass it on to other people."

Total's eyes went wide. "China's not exactly the most convenient place for me, either, bud," he protested. "And neither is the center of the earth. That's actually quite bad for me. Very, very bad. I hear molten lava's bad for your health."

It was Fang's turn to roll his eyes. "We're not going to end up in China, or the earth's core. C'mon, let's just try it."

Before Total could run away, Nudge snatched him up. Holding him in one arm, she held the other out towards Iggy. He felt around for a second until Nudge caught his hand. Fang rested his hand on her elbow.

"Ready?" Nudge asked breathlessly. She received no reply, which was probably the equivalent of, _Hell, no, but let's do it anyway._ "Well," she muttered, "here goes nothing."

Nudge closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. She wasn't quite sure how to activate her power. When Bane had that gun against her head, all that her mind had been able to process was that instinctive, uncontrollable need to get away. _Think, Nudge,_ she thought to herself. _Think how badly you want to get to the others, you badly you want to save them. Think how badly you _need_ to get them out of there alive!_

And then…

Nothing.

"Well, shucks," Total said enthusiastically, glad not to be getting burned alive. "It was worth the try, folks. Sorry it didn't-"

And then Nudge screamed.

Iggy and Fang cried out as they were yanked to the ground. The last thing Fang saw of Nudge was her black hair, flying above her, vanished into the grass. His eyes widened as he saw his own hand pass beneath the dirt as if it was nothing. No longer feeling Nudge beneath his hand, he quickly pulled it back up, hoping the genes in his hand didn't get mixed with the dirt. Superpowers, no matter how glorified they were in comics, could be some pretty screwy stuff.

As he examined it closely, his hand seemed to be very hand-ish. Nothing weird about it. "I hope she'll be okay," Fang commented, still staring at the body part.

Iggy's frown deepened. "Well, we were pulled down with her instead of just her slipping from our grasp. I'm also pretty sure that my hand went through the ground for a second. That means that she was able to extend her powers slightly, but not quite far enough to take an entire person down with her."

Fang looked around. "Um…Ig…I think she _did_ take a person down with her. A very, very small, black, hairy person."

Iggy's face fell. "Total?"

Fang nodded slowly. "Total."

For a second, they were both silent. Then, Iggy slapped his forehead. "Oh, god, our lives are in the hands of a ADHD chatterbox and a melodramatic mutt. Lord help us," he groaned. But then, to Fang's shock, Iggy suddenly began to laugh. It came nowhere near reaching his eyes, but it was still a laugh. "Go get 'em, guys," he murmured. "Show them just how wrong they were to classify us as 'duds.'" And then he laughed again, that sad look on his face.


	64. Sixty Three

**A/N: I'm so happy that I'm finally back in the saddle with this story. Of course, now that I said that, I'm probably gonna fall right back out of it. You know how that goes…And I spent all day out in the sun today, and now I am really, really sunburned. By the way, a really long one-shot should be coming out here in a couple days, if not tomorrow. It's my first songfic, called **_**Anthem of the Angels.**_** For those of you who have heard the song, you can take a guess on just how happy it's gonna be. (Cough, cough.) Keep an eye out for it! Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Nudge didn't care how tough you were: if you suddenly found yourself freefalling down several stories, she was pretty certain that you would've screamed, too. She quickly shut up, because, as it turned out, a screaming girl falling through the solid ceiling and then through the solid floor wasn't that uncommon of an occurrence in Schools. She clamped Total's snout shut, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to focus.

_STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP-_

Finally, her power seemed to get the idea. She crashed against the cold, tile floor in a cry of shock. For a long moment, she stayed on the ground, thankful to be alive. Then, the pain set in. She groaned, not knowing whether to clutch her shoulder, her knee, her wing, or her head. Finally, she settled on clutching the small dog.

"Owwwiiiieee," she moaned.

Total, who was lying on her chest, made a motion that Nudge assumed was meant to be a raised eyebrow. Interesting look on a dog, really. "I don't see what you're complaining about. The fall could've been worse," he stated.

Nudge glared at him. "You're welcome for breaking your fall," she muttered, pushing herself into a sitting position. Total fell into her lap. She looked around, suddenly remembering that they were in the home of all evil. Seeing that they had landed in an empty hall, she snatched Total up and bolted for a custodian's closet. She quickly jumped inside, hiding amidst a rack of white coats.

**HI, NUDGE!**

Nudge's eyes widened. _Angel?_

**The one and only. I hear you can go ghost-mode now. That's how you got into this School, isn't it? That's so cool!**

Nudge didn't have the time to go into the "that-so-cool, I-know-right" conversation. _Yeah, yeah, I guess. Anyway, Angel, I need to know how you and Max are doing. Are either of you injured? Will you be able to fight your way out of here with the rest of us?_

**Sure. I knew you were coming, and Max already has something up her sleeve for how we're gonna bust out of this room. By the way, it isn't only us. Me and Gazzy's adopted parents are here, and so is Iggy's girlfriend.**

_God, it's going to be hard trying to get normal humans through the fight,_ Nudge thought, meaning to keep this to herself. But, of course, Angel overheard.

**Why exactly do we have to fight? So far, no one knows you're in. Can't we find a way to get out without anyone realizing it?**

Nudge pursed her lips, closing her eyes. _The thing about that is that none of us want to do the stealth-thing on this mission. We want to fight. Iggy even has twenty-five bombs prepared to completely take this place out. Fang's just itching for blood, you can tell by the way he's moving. We have to fight, Angel…_ Nudge silenced her mind for a moment, then decided to add, _For Gazzy_

Angel's voice was confused as she asked, **What do you mean, for Gazzy?** Then, **Ohh. Um…listen, Nudge, there's something I kind of have to tell you. About Gazzy dying and all that…he's actually alive.**

Nudge's mind went completely blank. There were five stages to grief, and she had only just passed from denial to anger. Gazzy…alive? Her mind was struggling to comprehend this, to wrap her mind around it. She found it funny how her mind had done the exact same thing when she had been told that Gazzy was dead. But this was just…so much more mind-blowing.

Finally, she regained herself.

_"WHAT?"_ It took Nudge a moment to realize she'd screamed the word. Immediately, she slapped her hands over her mouth, watching the door with frightened eyes. When no footsteps came near the door, Nudge allowed herself to calm down. _What do you mean, Gazzy's alive? He died in his vision, and Bane told us he killed him!_

**Yeah, well, Bane's a liar, liar, pants on fire. In Gazzy's vision, he confused unconsciousness for death. Bane only choked his lights out, not his life out. He's bruised pretty badly, but he's still kicking.**

Nudge swallowed thickly, her eyes widening. _Gazzy's alive…Gazzy's alive…oh, my god, Gazzy's alive! Iggy and Fang are gonna be soooo happy when they hear this. They've both had such doomsday attitudes since Bane told us that he had killed Gazzy. They were ready to bring the house down on Itex - I mean, we all were! But Gazzy's alive! This is the best news I've heard all month! Oh, my god-_

**You'll have to celebrate later,** Angel suddenly interrupted. **Though I can sense Fang and Iggy's presences, they're too far away for me to speak to. I can't tell them how to get in. A minute ago, a whitecoat walked by the door to our room, and I got into his head and figured out the layout of the School. Listen: you have to get to Fang and Iggy before they find the way in. They can't let all hell loose. We need to get Roger, Annette, and Phoebe out of here.**

**Oh, by the way, hi, Total!**

Total scoffed in Nudge's arms, and Nudge could imagine his reply: _I feel so loved._

**Oh, hush, Total. Anyway, I'm going to tell you how to get to Fang and Iggy and let them in. Listen very closely, okay?**

Nudge grinned. _Okay._ Then, out loud: "Gazzy's alive…"

She began to inch towards the custodian's closet, Total now walking by her feet. Total looked up at Nudge with a triumphant, yet relieved expression. "I told you so," he said, giving what Nudge assumed was meant to be a smile.

"Shut up," Nudge shot back, but she never stopped grinning for a second.


	65. Sixty Four

**A/N: I knew I'd jinx myself with that last author's note. Anyway, this might be the last chapter for a few days. I've been operating on a "write summary for chapter, write chapter" system, and I have reached the end of my fourth set of summaries. I've been having issues writing more because I absolutely, positively have no idea on where to go from here. If I can't come up with anything, I'll force myself to write a couple fillers and let the story write itself in my mind. Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Nudge's excitement had worn off as the adrenaline set in. When he had been eleven years old, her role in the flock had always been "support Max, support Max, support Max." She had never really been her own person, and the only time she had ever really made a contribution to the mission had on the rare occasions where her hacking or magnetic powers came in handy. Only a few times in her life had she ever been an essential asset to the team.

But now.

_Now._

She couldn't overlook the fact that the whole mission was resting in her hands. If she screwed up and got caught, then the School would undoubtedly know that Fang and Iggy were trying to bust in, also. The School would go into lockdown, and Max, Angel, and Gazzy would be put into maximum security rooms. If she couldn't get to the entrance to the School completely undetected, then there would be little to no chance of them escaping unscathed.

Nudge was glad that she had Total with her to help lessen the weight on her shoulders, and Angel to provide directions. _Angel, everything's up to you, me, and Total right now, isn't it?_

**Pretty much, but mainly you and Total,** Angel replied. **Don't freak out, Nudge. You have to calm down. Remember what Jeb used to say, about over-thinking things.**

Nudge smiled slightly. _Take breaths to calm yourself, not too many, but no less than ten. The tactic I used when I went after Gazzy and Iggy after the Erasers got 'em the other day._ Glancing around the corner to make sure there were no whitecoats and finding none, she and Total raced down the hall as silently as they could. Nudge was glad that she was barefoot; even though it was hell running through the wilderness with no protection on your feet, it really helped stealth.

**At the end of this hall, take a right. The door to the stairs should be right in front of you.**

And it was. Except there was one issue.

_Angel?_

**Yeah?**

_I need a whitecoat's ID card to get through this door._ Nudge gazed at the little panel beside the door handle. There was a currently blank light attached to it and a thin groove about the width of a card. Now, if it had needed Nudge to enter a code, she could've already been on her way to the surface. Unfortunately, Itex always seemed to find a way to undermine a mutant hacker.

**Why can't you just use your intangibility?**

Oh. Right. Nudge was still getting used to the idea of having that power. She picked Total up, placed her hand against the door, and closed her eyes. Then, a frightening thought occurred to her: _What if I fall through the floor?_

**Did you fall through the ground when you were trying to get away from Bane?** Angel asked. **Powers can be pretty funky things, but I think that this one is actually really helpful. I think it only lets you go through what you want to go through. Just think really, really hard, 'I do not want to fall into China.'**

Nudge grinned. _You heard that conversation?_

**Nope. Read Total's mind.**

Nudge glared down at Total playfully. Then, she closed her eyes again, focusing. _I need to get through this door. I need to get Fang and Iggy in, and I need to get there in time to tell them that we have to stay stealthy in this mission. I have to give them the good news. I have to save the others._ Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, _And I do not need to go to China._

The weight of the door disappeared from beneath her hand. Concentrating as hard as she could, Nudge walked forward until she was certain that she was through the door. Opening her eyes again, she looked at the stairs that were now directly ahead of her. _Up, I'm guessing?_

**Uh-huh.**

Nudge set Total on the floor. She looked at the sign behind her, indicating that they were on the eight level. Seeing as they were underground, it must have meant negative eight. She bolted up the first flight of stairs, calling back down to Total, "C'mon!"

One thing that Nudge had to thank the whitecoats for was her stamina. Climbing up three levels would completely drain a non-body-builder's strength, but Nudge was barely winded as she ran at full-speed. It was odd, seeing the numbers decrease as she went up, but, hey, Itex was odd. Finally, she found herself at the door to level one, the top level.

"You ready, Total?" Nudge asked, turning to pick up the Scottie. Her eyes widened when she realized that he was nowhere to be found.

**Calm down, Nudge,** Angel told her, though now her voice was much fainter. **Total's not as strong as you. He stopped running on level six, stopped jogging at level five, and is now crawling his way to the top of level three. You have to remember, he's tiny. Small legs and stairs don't mix.**

Nudge was too impatient to let Total catch up to her, so she ran down to level three, scooped the wheezing mutt into her arms, then made it back up to level one. Nudge put her hand on the door, closing her eyes. _Alright, Angel, where to from here?_

**You're almost out of my telepathic radius, so I'm going to have to give you the rest of the directions here. Don't go completely through the door, because I can't ward off whitecoats once you leave my radius. Stay in the walls, not to the point to where you're in the room, but not in the hall, either. Once you get in the walls, take a right. Run straight about ten paces, then take another right. After twelve paces, make sure there are no whitecoats around, and run across the hall so you can make a left turn. Ten paces, another left turn. Five paces, run across the hall to make a right turn. Fifteen paces, then you should be at the final staircase. Go up those stairs, and there will be a hatch on the ceiling. It requires a twenty-digit code. With your hacking abilities, you'll get it open. Then, call Iggy and Fang in. You can't quite phase into the walls with them, so you're on your own with the rest. Okay?**

Nudge swallowed thickly. _Okay._

She phased into the wall with Total still in her arms. She turned right, then ran for all she was worth.


	66. Sixty Five

"Fang! Iggy! Over here!"

The hushed voice startled Fang and Iggy, and they both whirled around to face it. Fang's eyes widened when he saw, about ten yards away, Nudge's head sticking out of a newly-come-into-existence hole, gesturing for them to hurry. Without question, Fang grabbed Iggy's wrist and pulled him in her direction. "C'mon!"

In no time, they were rushing down a flight of stairs that had definitely _not_ been there before. Fang didn't hesitate to pull Nudge and Total under his cover of invisibility. Quickly and quietly, Nudge swung the hatch above their heads shut. "This way," she whispered, then quickly began to head down the hall with Total at her ankles. Still holding onto Iggy, Fang followed.

To his surprise, she came to a stop in front of a door and pushed it open. It was a custodian's closet. She ran into it. Confused, Fang followed.

With the door shut securely behind them, Fang whispered, "Nudge, why do you want us in here? You know that no one can see us, so there's no use hiding."

Nudge nodded. "Yeah, I know that, but there's something I really gotta tell you. I couldn't exactly say it out there, because there are, like, a million whitecoats out there, and just because they can't see us doesn't mean they can't hear us." She grinned, her eyes lighting up like the little lights on a Christmas tree. "Oh, you guys are gonna be so happy. This is such great news! Oh, my god, it's so great that you're not even gonna _believe_ me-"

"We don't have time for this," Iggy interrupted impatiently. "What is it?"

Nudge's grin seemed to reach from ear to ear. "Gazzy's alive!"

Fang and Iggy froze, their eyes widening. Whether blindly or not, they stared at Nudge. Fang was barely breathing. He doubted Iggy was at all.

Finally, Iggy's eyes narrowed. "What?" he hissed, absolutely no thrill to his voice.

Nudge was shocked at his reaction. "I fell down several stories before finally being able to stop. When I did, I ended up in Angel's telepathic radius, which doesn't quite reach the surface. I asked her if she and Max were okay. They're both fine, by the way, Gazzy's in the worst condition and he's only bruised around the neck. Angel told me that we can't exactly raise hell here because we have three ordinary humans to get out of here - her adopted parents and…" She paled. "Oh. Your girlfriend's here, too, Ig."

_"Phoebe?"_ Iggy paled, then squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head in frustration. "Oh, damn it, damn it, I should've known that we couldn't just leave her there when the Erasers started chasing us. They saw her talking to us, knew that she was associated with us-"

"No time for lament," Fang interrupted. He kept a steady gaze on Nudge. "Continue. How do you know Gazzy's alive?"

"Angel told me," Nudge replied. "She said that that's why we didn't have to go nuts on the place…until the humans are out, at least. She said that in Gazzy's vision, he confused unconsciousness for death. Bane only choked him until he lost consciousness. He's still alive."

Iggy's hands were trembling. "I don't believe it."

Nudge and Total (who had been surprisingly silent so far) were taken aback. Even Fang looked at Iggy in surprise. As if sensing their reactions, Iggy explained, "Right before the Eraser attack on the e-house, Gazzy flat-out told me that it wasn't unconsciousness. He told me that he _actually died._ Angel might have told you that, Nudge, but she could have been lying just to convince you that Phoebe and her parents are more important than our revenge. You know that she's more than willing to hurt people for the greater good, even if it's her own family."

Nudge was shocked into silence at the truth of these words. Then, she pursed her lips, trying to keep her heart from dropping into her stomach. "You'll see," she said. "When we get to the others, you'll see."

"I won't be seeing anything for the rest of my life," Iggy pointed out, "but let's hope I'm proven wrong."

There was silence for a long time. Then, Fang asked, "Is that all you wanted to say, Nudge?" When the girl nodded, Fang turned and opened the door to the closet. "Then let's get this show on the road."

**((…if only Iggy knew…))**

Angel had been struggling to focus on the others. Her eyes had been squeezed shut in concentration, but now they opened. She looked me dead in the eye, unsmiling. "They're in," she stated seriously.

"How far?" I asked.

"They're still on the first story, but with Fang's invisibility, they should get here in no time. Nudge can't quite transport her intangibility to the others yet, so I'm trying to get a whitecoat to 'accidentally' drop his ID card so that they can use the stairs. It's kind of hard at this distance, but I'm almost there. And Gazzy?"

Gazzy seemed surprised that Angel wanted to speak to him instead of concentrate on the mission at hand. "Yeah, Angie?"

"Before I told Nudge otherwise, the others were certain you were dead. Nudge just told the others, but I think that Iggy doesn't believe it. Save a big hug for him, won't you?"

Gazzy smiled. "You betcha."

I smiled at the two kids for a moment, then straightened up. "Everyone, listen to the game plan. Angel, tell the others when they're close enough. We are to get Phoebe, Annette, and Roger out of here ASAP. As soon as we meet up with the others, Angel, you, Iggy, and Nudge are in charge of getting them to safety. No ifs, ands, or buts, Angel, and I want you to tell Iggy and Nudge the same thing.

"Gazzy, you, me, and Fang are going to stay in the School. If what Nudge told Angel is true, then Iggy has twenty-five explosives, ten of them being the big kind. Let Iggy keep the little ones for the fight on the way out of the School/ Gazzy, I'm going to put you in charge of the big ones. Me and Fang will cover you as best as we can.

"We are going to blow this place to high heaven." I grinned devilishly. "And sent it right on back to hell."

**A/N: Alright, so, I know that I usually do the author's notes at the beginning rather than the end. I just didn't want to do overkill with two author's notes, though, and I just had to wait until the end to say this: THIS CLIMAX HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN. Haha, I know I said it might be awhile until the next update, but I figured I could get one more chapter in before becoming completely clueless. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**


	67. Sixty Six

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update sooner. I've been shingling a house! No happy face there, folks…but, truth be told, this chapter was written a lot quicker than I thought it would be. As it turns out, there's only one part that I'm not sure what to do with, and that isn't coming up for several more chapters, and even then it's slowly piecing together in my mind. Definite happy face there. On a random note, this is my longest chapter yet! Yaaaay! Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

The girl could be the devil, but sometimes you just had to thank god for Angel. It had only taken her a minute to influence a whitecoat to unlock our room, let us out, and give us his ID card for easy access to the stairs. Now, seeing as we didn't have any fancy cloaking abilities like our gracious Mr. Tall, Dark, and Wingsome, we were hiding on said stairs, waiting for the others to catch up.

Unfortunately, it was too much of a struggle for Angel to influence someone ten levels above her (we now knew we were on level eleven, thanks to the signs in the stairs). When we had moved high enough for Angel to contact the others, she told them to just send Nudge and Total down. Fang and Iggy would be on their own trying to pickpocket an ID card of one of the lunatics here. (According to Angel, Fang was a-okay with this plan. He was an expert because he used to pickpocket my candy bars off of me. So that was where they'd gone…)

Only seconds later, we heard someone start running down the stairs towards us, and we knew that Nudge was near. Angel and Gazzy wanted to meet her halfway, so I watched them disappear from sight.

Less than a second later, Gazzy was tackled back down to where I was. I was alarmed for a second, but only a second. It was only Nudge lying on top of him, squeezing the daylights out of Gazzy and squealing about how happy she was that he was alive. Total jumped on Nudge's back and licked his face.

"Eww! Gross!" Gazzy moaned, trying to wipe his face off. He tried to push his exuberant attackers away. Eventually, Nudge let him.

Nudge was beaming. "Iggy is gonna be _soooo_ happy." She managed to shake off some of the excitement and get her mind back on track. She looked at me. "Speaking of Iggy, he has a question about your plan, Max. Who's in charge of getting the other experiments out?"

…

…

…

…shit.

I thought for a moment. "Those of us staying behind, of course," I finally replied, trying to sound matter-of-fact and as if I'd had this planned all along. "Me, Gaz, and Fang are more than enough to get them out. Angel, can you give me a rough estimate of how many experiments there are?"

"Eight," Angel replied immediately. "Exactly eight. There are four on level three, two on seven, and two on ten."

I was taken aback. "Only eight?" I asked, thinking of the Institute of Higher Living. There had been so many…but here, there were only eight?

"Only eight," Angel confirmed. "I was talking with one them earlier. His name's Knell, one of the ones on level seven. He said he's only been here for a couple weeks. This place is like a maximum security prison. Only the worst of the worst go here. In other words, only the subjects who managed to escape and wreak havoc on Itex are kept here. Only eight others."

"Oh, snap," Total said, and I assumed he meant to raise his eyebrows. "We make up nearly half of the strongest rebels?"

I, however, had a different question in mind. "They call _this_ maximum security?"

Gazzy shrugged at me. "Well, we call _you_ Maximum Ride, but…" He let his meaning go from there. I smacked him on the back of the head.

A door above us opened. We tensed, but Angel only grinned. "Fang and Iggy are in," she announced.

Nudge grinned at Phoebe. "Still think he's cheating?"

This time, Angel, Gazzy, and I all rushed up the stairs while Total and Nudge stayed with Annette, Roger, and Phoebe. I mean, sure, it had only been three days since we'd last seen each other, but it felt like an eternity. I was only just getting used to the idea of having my family around again. I didn't want to miss a second of it.

Suddenly, a voice below us called, "Miss us, much?" We all turned back around to see Fang and Iggy suddenly shimmer into existence below us. In our eagerness to get to them, we'd run right on past them. Fang smiled at me for a minute, glad that I was uninjured…but then his eyes landed on Gazzy. I knew that Gazzy being alive meant so much more to him to him right then. I couldn't hold that against him.

"Gas?" Fang asked, his eyes widening. Gazzy just grinned back, lunging down the stairs and landing on Iggy. The impact wasn't hard enough to make Iggy fall, but he staggered, his arms instinctively flying up around Gazzy to support him.

"Hi there, Iggy! Heard you made twenty-five bombs. You finally beat my record for a day's work, huh?"

Iggy slowly blinked. His eyes were wide as his mind struggled to comprehend that he was holding his best friend - his living, breathing baby brother - in his arms. "Y-yeah," he stammered quietly, his voice sounding very distant. "Yeah, I guess I did…"

"I also heard that you can control fire now! Oh, my god, Iggy, that is _so awesome!_ I wish I-"

Suddenly, Iggy sank to his knees, pulling Gazzy against him tightly, hugging him vigorously. "Oh, my god, Gazzy," he cried, "you're alive. Oh, my god…so…you didn't really die in your vision? It really _was_ just unconsciousness? Oh, thank god…"

"I'm really sorry for scaring you like that," Gazzy said, looking truly apologetic. "If I'd known I was only unconscious, I swear I would've told you guys. I wouldn't have worried you like that for nothing. I'm so sorry."

Fang knelt down beside them, ruffling Gazzy's hair. He was grinning. "Don't sweat it, kiddo," he said. "We're just glad to have you back."

"Yeah. The flock just can't be the flock minus one," Nudge said, coming up the stairs to join us. The humans were only a few steps behind her "That's why we separated after Max left. Kind of like the pieces to an engine, I guess you could say. Without everyone, we just can't function. If we're scattered, we're just spare parts." She grinned, flashing the pearls of her could-be-super-model glory at us. "And when we're together, when that engine's functioning…lordy, Itex had better watch it."

I smiled at Nudge, then noticed something by Fang's foot. It must have fallen out of Iggy's pocket when Gazzy had jumped on him. I crouched down beside Fang and picked up the small cube. It was blue, about the size of a die. "Hey, Ig, did you drop this?" I asked, taking his hand and placing the object in his palm. With Gazzy still in one arm, Iggy curled his fingers up and held it in his fist. His face flashed with recognition.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot I had this thing. It's not that useful, but I always carry one on me, just in case. It's something I invented over the past couple years. It's like, a mini-mini-mini bomb. Throw it at someone, and it zaps them. They're stunned and completely immobilized for approximately five minutes. You have to be careful with it, because it's really sensitive." He grinned. "I call it the lightning bug."

He pocketed the thing, then stood up, finally releasing Gazzy. "Phoebe?" he called out, trying to figure out where she was.

"Yeah?" Phoebe asked. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder to let him know that she was there. He turned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Still think I'm cheating on you?"

Phoebe sighed. "Why has everyone been asking me that today?"

Iggy laughed, but frowned again. "I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in all this, Pheebs. The seven of us…we're magnets for danger."

Phoebe smiled. "Don't be, Jim…I mean, Iggy. I'm kind of happy that I know now. One reason why I was so fascinated by you when we first met was because you were such an enigma. Now, I feel like I'm one step closer to understanding you."

Iggy smiled. "You're weird."

Before Phoebe could reply, or any of us could tell them to get a room (because trust me, we were all dying to), we heard a door a couple stories below us open ad close. The flock immediately tense, their heads turning towards the stairs. Iggy pulled away from Phoebe, keeping a grip on her hand. We prepared ourselves for anything.

Angel's eyes closed as she struggled to ward off the intruder. Her eyes reopened, wide. **I can't get them to go away,**she thought at us, not wanting to alert whoever it was down there that we were there. **I…I can't even get into their head.**

There was a horrified hesitation. Then:

**Oh, my god, it's Diana Jacobson!**


	68. Sixty Seven

**A/N: I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner. I've been slacking, short, sweet, and simple. I probably would've continued doing that, but my best friend's brother killed himself last night, and that's been…well, you all know how stuff likes that goes. It's been rough. I started this back up because I needed to get my mind off it. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Gazzy, Angel, and I immediately began bolting up the stairs. After a confused hesitation, the others followed. In no time, Fang was beside me. He didn't waste my time with "Who is Diana Jacobson?" or "Is Diana Jacobson bad?" or even "Why are we running away from her?" Barely sparing me a glance, he said, barely loud enough to be heard over our quiet but hurried footsteps, "How bad is she?"

"Very bad," I replied. "Controls minds, reads minds, possibly more." I spoke the bare minimum, knowing we didn't have time for chit-chat. I decided to leave out the part about her possibly being Gazzy and Angel's biological mother. That might encourage too many questions.

**Run out onto the third story,** Angel thought at us. **It's another level meant for holding experiments, and there are only four. There are only a few whitecoats and a couple Erasers.** Without hesitation, I swiped the ID card to open the door leading to level three. As quietly as possible, I ran through, Fang glued to my back. I pursed my lips, suddenly aware of the excessive racket the humans were making. Diana Jacobson had definitely heard us.

I kept going until I saw the number one of Flock's Favorite Places to Hide in a Nut Ward/Laboratory: a custodian's closet. It was a bit cramped, fitting all ten of us in there, but we managed it. I tried to shush whoever was making so much noise, but then I realized that all that racket was just the humans trying to catch their breath. Humans these days. No stamina.

"Keep your mind out for any threats," Fang whispered to Angel.

Angel nodded, though she looked uncertain. **I can keep whitecoats and Erasers away,** she thought to us, **but Jacobson is an entirely different story. I can't even sense when she's coming.**

I pursed my lips. _That's alright, honey,_ I thought. _She's had several more years than you to practice her powers. I know that you can't sense her coming…but if you even have the slightest worry, no matter how small, insignificant, or worrywart-ish, tell me, okay? Tell me immediately._

Angel nodded again. Suddenly, I heard Iggy whispering. "Gazzy, what's wrong?"

Immediately, all eyes turned to Gazzy. His blue eyes were wide, and he was limp against the wall. He wasn't having another vision, was he? Such perfect timing it would've been, as everything in our life seemed to go.

Angel's eyes narrowed slightly in concentration as she tried to get into her brother's mind. After a moment, her eyes widened, and she threw herself across the closet and took Gazzy's head in her hands. "Fight her, Gazzy, fight her!" Angel cried, no longer caring about being heard. We all immediately got the message: Jacobson knew where we were, and she was trying to take control of Gazzy. Angel was the only thing keeping her from doing it.

I burst through the door, Fang by my side. Iggy took Gazzy into his arms, jumping to his feet. There, in the middle of the hall and blocking our way, was Jacobson in all her whitecoat glory. Fang flashed me a confused look, asking a million questions at once. He saw the resemblance. I glanced at him, barely dipping my chin in a nod. _Yes, she is Diana Jacobson. Yes, she claims to be Gazzy and Angel's mother._

Fang seemed to understand. His gaze darkened slightly, and I nodded again. We stood there for another second, perfectly still. Then, Fang and I launched ourselves at her as quickly as we could, with every intention of knocking her to the ground so that we could get by. With an almost mocking ease, she curved around my punch and Fang's kick in a single, graceful movement. Though we were now behind her and had a straight-shot at the stairs, she didn't even bother to look at us.

I understood. She didn't care what happened to Fang and me. We could get shot down by Erasers, we could get captured and thrown into a cage, we could escape and never be seen by her again, she just didn't give a damn. She didn't care about me, or Fang, or Iggy and Nudge and the humans. She only had her eyes for her son and daughter.

And, god, if she wasn't hell-bent on making sure that they stayed with her.

Iggy's legs were shaking, and I knew that they were beginning to lock up. She was trying to control him, keep him glued to the spot with Gazzy in his arms. By the seething look in those milky eyes, I was pretty sure that Iggy wasn't going to let any such thing happen. Fang and I exchanged a look, and then we dived at Jacobson again. "Run!" I screamed at the others as she ducked under my blow and sidestepped Fang's. It was like she knew our every move.

They didn't need to be told twice. They rushed past us, and Fang and I were quick to follow. I made sure to stay in the back, keeping the others in my vision. I did a mental roll call. Iggy, near the front of the group, holding Gazzy; Nudge right behind him; the humans, not able to run quite as quickly, several feet behind them; Fang, barely in front of me; Angel…

Angel?

I looked over my shoulder, my brown hair whipping around my face. Angel was standing perfectly still exactly where I'd left her, her back to me. I was ready to scream for Angel to get a move on when I realized why she wasn't moving. She and Jacobson were standing less than ten feet apart, both stock still, identical blue eyes locked. Angel was trapped in the heat of an invisible battle against her own mother, and she couldn't turn and run for fear that she would lose.

I skidded to a halt. Before I even came to a complete stop, I was positioning my feet to turn me around and throw me back towards Angel. In no time, I was sprinting towards her for all I was worth. The second I locked my arms around the nine-year-old, Jacobson's eyes were suddenly boring into mine. I knew that she didn't want me taking Angel away from her, but there was no way in the far reaches of hell that I was going to leave the child at her mercy.

Suddenly, Jacobson's lips, wine red with lipstick, curled into a smirk. I knew beyond a doubt that Angel was quickly losing the battle to keep all of our minds under our own control.

Knowing I didn't have much time left, I ran back towards the door, surprised to see Fang right there behind me. He never left my side for a minute…

Iggy was holding the door open. All the others were already safely through, yelling at us to hurry. We were almost there…but suddenly the door yanked itself out of Iggy's grip. He was surprised, but he immediately tried to catch it. It eluded his grasp, and the door slammed shut. Without hesitation, Fang reached for the ID card I was carrying in my pocket.

His hand froze before it was halfway there.

In the reflection of the door's window, I saw my face pale as an alarm began to sound, and a monotonous voice called over the intercom: _"Level three is on lockdown. Repeat, level three is on lockdown."_


	69. Sixty Eight

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the kind reviews. You're all incredibly amazing, despite how much of a bum I've been about the story. I'll probably have even less time to procrastinate about this story now, seeing as school has started back up, I'm officially a sophomore (officially out of the freshman center…real high school = mucho homework), and I have five orchestra concerts coming up before this year is over (one September, two October, two December), which involves over twenty pieces of music to practice…and I'm auditioning for the second violin part for the theatre band for the production of Hairspray, and if I make it I'll literally have to sign a contract to solemnly swear to come to ever performance. And I'm trying out to be a member of my school's Brain Game this Tuesday. And my mom's going in for surgery on Monday. Gahh, I have a busy life! So, to bring this quite freakishly long author's note (a.k.a. author's excuse) to an end: Remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

"No!" Nudge screamed. Iggy handed Gazzy to Roger and rammed his shoulder into the door. When three tries of that didn't work, Iggy slammed a fist into the window, nearly breaking his hand. The pain crossed his face for barely a second. When you had lives like ours, pain was like that infuriating tagalong you'd learned to tolerate.

"Stop it, Iggy," I yelled over the alarm. I felt Angel's fingers digging into my shoulders as she latched on to me as if for support, and I knew that we only had a minute at the most left before Jacobson could take us over. There was nothing that could be done for Angel, Fang, and me, but the others had to get out of Jacobson's mental radius before that happened. She couldn't get them, too! "I said stop it!" I screamed as he hit the door again. "Go! We'll be fine! You know we can handle ourselves!"

Iggy's eyes were narrowed. He hit the door again. I was pretty sure we all knew it was useless, but he refused to stop trying.

"We can't just _leave_ you, Max!" Nudge cried. She took a shaky step forward, her eyes getting watery. She had become more like me in the past three years, but Nudge was still her own person. I was glad to see that.

"We don't have time to argue about this," I snapped. "In no time, Erasers will be rushing at you from above and from below, and you need to get out and find a hiding spot before that happens!" Iggy made as if to hit the door again, but his fist, still clenched, came to an abrupt halt. It trembled, and I saw something shift in his milky eyes. "There's nowhere for the three of us to go," I told him. "We're going to get taken over by Jacobson. That _can't_ happen to you guys, too. You're already feeling her, aren't you, Iggy?"

He didn't respond. There was a struggle on his face. His hand slowly lowered, and I wondered whether that was his movement or Jacobson's. At this point, I didn't know who was and who wasn't under their own control.

"I can try and use my powers-" Nudge began.

"No time, and you don't have much control," Fang interrupted.

"You have to go," I added. I tried to think of a good argument, but the best I came up with was, "For the humans!"

For a long moment, they all stood there, staring back at us. I was worried that they weren't going to move, but then Iggy squeezed his eyes shut. "Nudge, here's the ID card I stole. Lead the humans up, and Total and I will take the rear." Nudge turned wide eyes upon him, her body stiff with shock. Iggy must've sensed it, because he continued gruffly, "I wouldn't be saying this if we were only jeopardizing our lives. We involved these humans, so it's our responsibility to get them out! Now _go!"_

Nudge was still a moment longer, but then her eyes hardened, and she nodded. She turned and bolted up the stairs, Phoebe right behind her. Roger hesitated, his eyes on Angel, but then, holding Gazzy tightly, he followed. Iggy practically had to push a screaming Annette up, Total at his heels. I watched them until Iggy's shoeless foot and Total's paws disappeared from sight.

They were gone. I allowed myself a small, relieved smile for a second. Then, my body locked up, and I was forced to turn and face Jacobson. I heard a shuffling next to me, and I knew that Fang was in the same position.

"What's going on?" a new voice called as a whitecoat came running down the hall, two Erasers in tow. Jacobson didn't even bother to glance at them. A few more whitecoats and Erasers ran into sight, looking equally confused and asking the same questions. It was like watching a congregation of geese. _Honk, honk, honk._ Very annoying.

Finally, Jacobson chose to reply. "I'd call that being fashionably late, but that's just a joke," she said, a slight smirk in place. She was teasing her coworkers. "What took you so long, slowpokes? I've already apprehended two of the escapees and one of the intruders. If you want to make yourselves useful for a nice change, warn the others about this: there are four more escapees, three being ordinary humans, and three more intruders, one a simple mutt. I believe that they headed upstairs."

She glanced at the whitecoat walking up beside her. "They're easy pickings, but tell them not to harm the blonde-haired boy. I will personally _kill_ anyone who harms that child."

The whitecoat nodded, then reached for the radio at his waist. I watched him, but after a second something a bit further down the hall caught my eye.

A blur of brown and gold shooting straight from one of the walls.

My eyes widened.

_Nudge?_


	70. Sixty Nine

**A/N: Alright. Alright. Trying to regulate my updating again. Trying to regulate my updating again. Trying to regulate my updating again. My god, this is life rehab! You get on your feet there for a little while, and sometimes you have relapses and such. Dx Anyway…wait, before I get to the end part…I just realized something. I HAVE A MARY SUE. PHOEBE IS A MARY SUE. Something is going to be done about that, I assure you! Within the next few days, the chapter where she turned into a Mary Sue will be edited. Also, her role in the story is going to be changing a lot before the story's over. Like the rest of the general population, how I so, so hate Mary Sues…I must have really been having an off day…Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always appreciated!**

_Nudge, you flocking idiot,_ I thought, my eyes wide with shock. Jacobson had already begun turning towards her. I noticed that Nudge was carrying something, but she made a swiping motion with her free hand, as if throwing something. Then, her entire body locked up. Her wing folded in, and she took a hard hit to the floor. She didn't get up again, and I knew that she was under Jacobson's control.

So quickly that it had to have been by instinct, Jacobson caught whatever Nudge had thrown at her. She stared at it in confusion for less than a second before her eyes widened with recognition. Before she could drop it, though, her entire body suddenly went tense. Her bloodcurdling scream tore through me like a bullet. Then, she collapsed to the tile, Iggy's lightning bug tumbling from her limp hand.

Just like that, Fang and I were set free. It was so sudden that I tumbled to my knees, and Fang was barely able to catch himself before doing the same. My arms were feeling like they were reduced to jelly, and I accidentally dropped Angel. She landed on her back, but she was smiling.

Nudge was already on her feet. Her eyes were wide with the classic glaze of adrenaline, and her expression was one of a person that didn't have a second to waste. _"RUN!"_ she screamed at us, already turning away from us. _"TAKE COVER!"_ She began to run away, and I noticed with slight curiosity that her hands were now empty. What had she been holding? Where had she put it?

I saw it in the middle of the hallway. She must have dropped it when Jacobson had taken her over. Why was she just leaving it there? Why was she running? None of it made any-

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit._

It was a little boy bomb!

Angel was already gone, running down the hall as fast as her little feet would take her. Fang seemed to realize what was going on the same time I did, and now he grabbed me by the sleeve of my windbreaker and started dragging me down the hall after her. I saw an Eraser carrying Jacobson off through the corner of my eye. Before Fang had the chance to make us invisible, two more Erasers were on us.

Didn't they value their lives? Or had they just not noticed the ticking bomb in the middle of the freaking hall?

The first Eraser grabbed me by the neck, and I wasted no time in turning as best I could and swiping his legs out from beneath him. The grip was a bit tighter than I had expected, and I winded up lying on top of him. I wasn't fazed, though; I couldn't let myself be fazed. I took a cheap shot at his nose, hoping to break it, then tried to throw myself back to my feet so I could run. Unfortunately, he grabbed my by my wrist and swung my on to the floor beside him. He was on me before I could say Sally sold seashells down by the seashore.

Fang didn't look to be doing much better. His Eraser shoved him into the wall, and he barely had time to duck out of the way before its fist made a hole in the wall where his face had been seconds before. He lunged out of the way, landed on his side, rolled onto his stomach, and bounced back up to his feet. You see, staying on our feet is something we're good at.

Except when we're being held down by a ton of animal hair and mutant muscle. Like I currently was. I thrashed out at him. Killing wasn't exactly my favorite hobby, but it wasn't like I wasn't willing to do it. I rammed the palm of my hand into the bottom of his nose, hoping to shove the cartilage up into his brain, but succeeding in nothing more than getting him to roar in pain. His grip faltered. I tried to take advantage of it, but I couldn't. Something else did, though.

Suddenly, something dived in between the Eraser and me. Nudge's back pressed firmly into my chest and almost suffocated me as her legs hiked up and kicked the Eraser away. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Fang get a lucky hit off the Eraser he was fighting, the side of his fist coming in contact with its chin. He took the moment to turn halfway around and throw himself towards us.

Then, Nudge was on top of me, one arm wrapped tightly around my chest. Her other hand was outstretched, reaching desperately for Fang.

I never got to see if she managed to touch him.

The bomb went off.


	71. Seventy

**A/N: Aargh. I am really, really, really, really, really, REALLY sorry about such a short chapter. When I started getting into the habit of writing longer ones, I promised myself that I would never write such a short one again. I just can't think of any more ways to elongate it, though! Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgh. Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

I pushed a chunk of drywall off of my, groaning as I pushed myself to my hands and feet. I looked around to see Nudge wriggling out of some small debris. Fang was rising from the rubble, the dust from the drywall turning him from Mr. Tall, Dark, and Wingsome to Casper the Friendly Ghost. I coughed as I stood, relieved to see that they were both okay.

"Dang, Nudge," I said, "your powers are getting stronger so quickly that it's almost scary."

Nudge shrugged slightly, slowly raising a hand to her bleeding shoulder. It wasn't anything more than a flesh wound, I knew. Just a scratch. "It's not a hard power to control," she replied. "I guess that, after the first couple times, it became second nature." She looked up, marveling at the hole in the ceiling. Only a few seconds ago, that very ceiling had been the floor beneath us. "So we've been knocked back down to level four, then, huh?" she muttered.

"What did Angel say was one level four?" Fang asked.

"She didn't tell us," I replied, looking around. The halls on either side of us were empty, but for how long? "Speaking of Angel, where is she?"

**Still up on level three,** the nine-year-old's voice suddenly echoed in my head. **You guys need to get back up here, and fast. Erasers are only a few seconds away from you down there.**

_Alright,_ I thought back. _What about the four experiments you said were on level three?_

**I'm about to let them free. They know I'm coming, and they won't try to fight us. They trust me.**

I was relieved to hear this as I extended my wings. All three of us shot back up to level three just in time to see Erasers fill the halls. It was looking like we were going to be needing reinforcements, and if what Angel said was right, then these guys were going to be the best of the best…and they hated Itex as much as we did. I almost laughed. How stupid could Itex be, gathering all of their strongest resisters in the same base? It was hard to imagine that not one had sat back and thought, _Hmm. Now, what it a few of them happen to get free and start setting the others free? We'd have one hell of a situation on our hands._

I looked around. The alarms were still going off, but luckily we weren't going to have much resistance on this floor. Most of the Erasers had been taken out by that bomb, and because of the lockdown, it wasn't exactly like any others could get at us. I wondered how so many popular and supposedly good ideas, like the maximum security prison and the idea of a lockdown, could be blowing up in their faces like this. I guess that we were just good at making things go boom.

I sighed, running a hand through my wild brown hair. "So," I said, "anyone have any ideas on how we're going to get out of here?"

"I don't," Angel's voice - her actual voice - suddenly said from behind us. We all turned to face her. There were four teenagers around my age standing behind her. They seemed to be analyzing us, and even though I didn't like to be looked at like that, I couldn't say that I wasn't doing the same to them. Suddenly, Angel grinned like the she-devil she was. "But Iggy does."


	72. Seventy One

**A/N: …okay. So I'm steadily returning to my I-Heart-MR phase. I'm in the middle of reading Angel, so that's probably why. Anyway, I would give another apology, but that's starting to become very repetitive and redundant, and it's starting to lose its effect. I'm back, though, if any of you still care. And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

After Nudge vanished through the ceiling, I figured I had a bit under a minute before go time. That was all the time I'd need to get to know the four teenagers who, despite Angel's efforts, probably didn't trust me further than they could throw me. (Well, except the blonde-haired young man. With that bodybuilder form, he could probably throw me further than he'd trust me.)

The sole female of the group seemed to understand my intentions when I turned to face them. "My name's Jane Doe," she said in a thick Australian accent, crossing her arms over her chest and thrusting a hip out to the side. Her dark blonde hair fell into her face in dirty straggles, and the defiance on her face dared anyone to cross her. She didn't look like someone a whitecoat would like to fight. I liked this girl. "I'm telekinetic, and I can teleport."

"John Doe," the bodybuilder said, his whiskered chin dipping in a salutatory nod. "I'm also telekinetic, and I have enhanced seeing and hearing. And I…uh, glow in the dark." He nodded towards the girl and added, "I'm her younger brother."

The first explosion rattled the ground beneath our feet, but we didn't pay any attention to it.

"Blake," another boy said. He must have been albino. It was kind of freaky, seeing someone with snow-white hair, reddish-pink eyes, and skin so pale it was practically see-through. Very freaky, actually. "I can turn invisible-" (No surprise there. Itex was known for its lack of an imagination. An already pretty physically invisible guy getting to go the extra mile and vanish completely? Come on.) "-and I can…" He paused, thinking for a way to phrase it. "…mess with people's memories."

We looked to the last member of the group. He was a bit sturdier built than the albino kid, but he was still pretty scrawny, and all three of the others looked like they could kick his ass with one arm tied behind their backs. The boy blushed, looking thoroughly embarrassed. He must have known how pathetic he looked compared to his buddies. I felt sorry for the guy. Despite how quiet he was, though, his friends didn't seem to have any issues with speaking up for him.

"He's not a mutant," Blake said.

"He's an ordinary human," John added.

"He's an expendable pipsqueak," Jane muttered.

The boy gave them all a look of the highest detestation. "Charlie," he replied without looking at me. His voice crackled with humiliation. "My name is Charlie."

John looked rather apologetic for their rude introduction. "He's a strong guy, though," he offered. "I mean, he wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't gotten involved with us and decided to fight with us. Pretty brave."

Jane scoffed. "Puny, you mean."

Charlie pursed his lips. "Thank you, Jane, I love you, too," he grumbled, just as the second explosion went off, this one right above our heads. Immediately, we all dived out of the way as smoke and ash filled the corridor. Coughing, I looked up, squinting my eyes to see through the smoke. I could barely make out a silhouette.

"Sorry about that," Nudge said, running over to me and helping me up. Angel appeared, her pure look tainted with gray, and Fang looked even darker than he had after the first explosion we'd been caught up in - though still not as dark as usual. After a few seconds, Jane, John, Charlie, and Blake emerged from the smoke.

I looked up at the hole in the ceiling. Through that, we could all make out another hole, leading up to level one. I caught a flash of a fight going on up there.

Jane was eyeing the hole warily. "That our way up?" She didn't sound too pleased.

"Pretty much," I replied.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, if that's the best way, then. C'mon, John." The two siblings faced their other friends. Blake and Charlie were lifted from the ground and safely escorted up through the first hole, then through the second. (I had a feeling that Jane wasn't the one in charge of Charlie.) When they were up, Jane grabbed her brother's hand and vanished.

"I guess it's our turn," Fang said. I nodded, grinning at him.

Angel went through first, then Nudge, then me, then Fang. Immediately, I looked around and saw Jane, John, and Blake having the time of their lives. Charlie had just stolen a firearm from an Eraser, and I was surprised at how well he was handling the thing. Total was nearby, nipping at ankles. A bit further down the hall, I caught a flash of red hair. That would have been Iggy. By him, Gazzy, once again under his own control, was hovering over the surprisingly low amount of enemies, throwing whatever he could get his hands on.

At first, I was relieved. Then, horror seized my heart. Where were the humans?

**The minute Fang got up here, he started cloaking them,** Angel explained before I could begin to panic. **With all of us here fighting, I don't think it should be much longer before we can get them to the surface. And yeah, yeah, I get it, me, Iggy, and Nudge are getting them to safety.**

I could practically hear her laughing. I understood what she meant: When do our plans ever work out? We'd make them, try to go with them, and then…well…all hell had a habit of breaking loose.


	73. Seventy Two

**A/N: Hey, guys! I'm actually writing to you from a friend's house, haha. It's three a.m. and she's asleep upstairs, so I stole her laptop and am currently typing in the darkness of her living room. I never realized how hard it was trying to see the letters on the keyboard in the dark. It's a good thing I have muscle memory, haha. Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always appreciated!**

Not wanting to miss out on the fight, I jumped on the nearest Eraser. I punched him in the nose, but I'd learned by now not to expect too much from that. His head barely jerked backwards, and then he was grinning maliciously down at me. He was probably thinking something along the lines of, _Yum, yum, yum, easy prey._ He must have forgotten than this was a high security prison. In other words, none of us were _easy prey._

Ah. Poor idiots. Sometimes, I really wished I had it in me to pity them. But, unfortunately for him, I was no saint.

Judging by the fight, neither were any of my newfound comrades. Jane and John were standing back to back, and Erasers were flying in every direction. Every now and then, John would whisper something to his sister, and Jane would disappear then reappear, looking just a bit more satisfied each time. Blake was nowhere to be found – no surprise there – but, judging by the Erasers that would occasionally fall and flail, apparently for no reason, he was still an active part of the battle. Charlie was staying out of the thick of the fight, but he had the aim of a sharpshooter, and he didn't seem to have any moral issues with killing people – or half-people, half-dogs.

I looked around, trying to find an opening for Iggy, Nudge, and Angel to get the humans out of the danger. Angel was struggling to control three Erasers while trying to fight another one. That girl could multi-task, but she wasn't going to be able to leave anytime soon. Nudge and Iggy didn't seem to be having too much of an issue. Fang was...like Blake, he was gone.

_Angel,_ I began to think, but she cut me off.

**Fang has a different plan in mind,** she thought at me. She lost control of one of her Erasers. **I won't be able to get out of here anytime soon. I've spoken with the others about this. Jane, Fang, and Nudge are going to be the ones getting Roger, Annette, and Phoebe out of here. Jane has issues with teleporting with passengers, so she can only take one person. Fang will provide the cover for himself, Nudge, and the other two humans. Nudge will use her intangibility – or hacking skills, either will work – to get them to ground level. Sorry. Guess this was just another plan that blew up in your face.**

I wasn't surprised. _Don't they all?Anyway...tell them to stay at the safe spot as soon as they get there. Have Iggy join them as soon as he's free. Jane's friends are free to do as they please, come with us to wreak a little more havoc or go to safety. You, me, and Gazzy will free the others and blow this place to high heaven. Actually...more like to hell, because we're underground._

**Yeah, Max, about that...that plan won't work out either.**

_What? Why?_

**Fang says he's coming back.**

Why was I not surprised?

_Well, tell him that someone's gotta stay with the humans to protect them! Nudge can't do it by herself, and we don't know Jane well enough. She might just leave them._

** Fang says Iggy should go help. But, the issue with that is, Iggy doesn't want to leave either. He wants to stay with Gazzy...but we need one explosives expert with us to blow this place, and Gazzy would be the better option. And Nudge also wants to come back. Jane...Jane _is_ planning on leaving Roger, Annette, and Phoebe. She doesn't really care about them; she just wants to make sure that John, Blake, and Charlie get out of the fight. Roger and Annette don't want to leave me and Gazzy, either...**

…

Damn.

It.

Why was it that everyone in my life had to be so difficult? Just for once, I would like at least a _back-up plan_ to work. But, at this point, we had to have been past Plan B...maybe we were at plan T or something? I didn't like keeping track of stuff like that; it depressed me to think of our lack of coordination. Knowing us, we'd be down to Plan Z before we figured out that, hey, maybe a plan is something worth following. But, _no..._

_Annette and Roger are definitely going. Iggy is going. Nudge is staying. Fang is staying. Make sure they understand this._

For about a minute, I had my mind all to myself. Then, Angel was back. **They all say no.**

Motherflockingsnickerdoodles, someone is going to die.


	74. Seventy Three

**A/N: Damn. I am coming frighteningly close to this story's second birthday. It's only two months away…O.o I need to get hustling if I want this thing done before it reaches that second birthday. From the way it's been lately, it doesn't really look like I'll be able to achieve my goal of not letting this thing have a second birthday, haha. Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Well, even if it was only temporary, Nudge, Fang, and Jane were with the humans. If Nudge and Fang really did decide to abandon them, then we would have to get hustling so that they wouldn't go unprotected for long. I looked at Angel, but she was one step ahead of me, as always.

** The two closest experiments are on level seven, but we only have holes in the floor leading down to four. They've taken the school off lockdown because we're obviously moving around without the use of the stairs and the staff isn't quite as lucky, but with the amount of Erasers and whitecoats there right now, I wouldn't trust the stairs. What do you think we should do?**

I faltered for a second, then barely had enough time to swivel around an Eraser's punch. I grabbed his wrist and tried to twist it behind his back. That didn't work out so well, so I settled with elbowing him in the back of the head as hard as I could. He fell to his knees, dazed.

_Tell the others to jump back down to level four,_ I thought at Angel. With most of my mind preoccupied with fighting, it was the best thing I could come up with._ Tell our three tagalongs that they don't have to come along if they don't want to help out with the rescue mission._ They had better as hell come. _That'll give us a few seconds to think clearly, because I think everyone on the stairs was told to come to level one._

Without waiting for Angel's confirmation, I abandoned the dazed Eraser and charged towards the hole in the ground. Without thinking twice, I jumped down. When I landed in a crouching position on level two, I was suddenly grateful for the fact that Nudge hadn't blown each hole right on top of one another. That fall would've been…interesting.

I glanced up at the hole in the ceiling just in time to see Gazzy, having been thrown off balance by an Eraser three times his size, come tumbling through. I caught him as best I could, but we both ended up on the ground. We barely managed to scramble out of the way before Angel, holding on to Iggy's hand, jumped down.

Seeing the three flock members left in the school present, I immediately turned towards the next hole. "Stop," Angel interrupted. "John, Blake, and Charlie said they were coming."

"Tell them to hurry up. It's not like we have all day," I replied. It was another thirty seconds (and I was damned near leaving without them) before they made it to the hole and jumped down. Though I was pretty impatient with them, I figured I might as well thank them for helping us. "Thanks for showing up," I half-muttered, turning towards the hole in the floor. I realized a second too late how sarcastic that sounded, but it wasn't exactly as if I had the time to apologize.

Thankfully, John understood what I meant. "We owed you," he said easily, jogging over to join me beside the hole.

Within the next minute, all seven of us were down on level four. Without wasting a minute, I turned towards the others. "Okay, we need a way to get down to level seven. The stairs are too dangerous, and I'd rather not waste any more bombs. Any ideas?"

I knew that I wouldn't get a good answer from Gazzy. To him, the answer to everything was to blow it up. Angel wasn't likely to have anything better. Iggy seemed to be thinking, but I wasn't sure if his mindset was much different from Gazzy's.

I looked over at the three boys Angel had freed. Charlie and John looked as lost as Gazzy and Angel. Blake, however, had his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and I could almost see the gears in his head turning. I watched him hopefully until finally he shook his head in resignation. "I have no idea," he admitted.

"I might," Iggy suddenly spoke up. We all turned to him, listening. "Max, you still have that ID card with you, don't you?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Well, you have super speed. Why don't you try going out onto the stairs and just…running around everybody? You'll have to stop for a second to use the ID card, but not for long. Angel can tell you where to find the two down on level seven, then the two down on level ten." He furrowed his eyebrows. "But then there's the problem of getting all five of you back up here…"

"One of the two down on level ten also has super speed," Angel said. "The other one's a lot younger than he is, so they'll be able to handle themselves."

"What about the two on level seven?" John asked.

Angel slowly shook her head. "No. They'll need help. One of them is unconscious right now, actually…"

"Go for the two down on level ten first," Blake suggested. "By then, Jane should be back. We'll ask her to help you out on level seven. She can teleport the other two back up to us. Then, you can run back up to us, and we can blow this joint."

Gazzy's eyes suddenly widened. "Speaking of which…," he said, fingering the straps to his bomb-filled backpack.

"The bombs," I stated dumbly, having forgotten about them completely. I considered taking the backpack and setting up the ones needed on the lower levels, but that wouldn't work. I didn't know enough about bombs to plant them. I would need Gazzy to do it. The issue was, I wouldn't be able to carry him with me.

"Go, Max," Gazzy said. "We'll plant the bombs on the top four levels while you're helping out the two people down on level ten. We'll try and get…ah, what's-her-face to take me around to the other levels and plant them. You can hide out or something until we finish, and she can come help you."

John shook his head. "No. Teleporting with passengers tires her out too much. She can't do it enough times for that plan to work."

We all fell silent. The staircase's door at the end of the hall was slammed open by an Eraser. With a flick of his finger, John closed it again, not allowing the Eraser passage. He held his hand out, forcing the door to stay shut.

"Take me," Angel suddenly said. "You can carry me, and Gazzy can just tell me what to do. While we're setting up the bombs on the lower levels, they can set up the ones on the top four levels." She must have seen my protest coming, because she never gave it the chance to be spoken. "It's the only way, Max," she stated.

I hesitated a second, but I knew it was true. "Fine," I grunted. Quickly, Gazzy swung the backpack in front of him and counted what was left. "All ten big boys and twelve little boys are left," he stated. "How many levels are there, Angel?"

"Twelve," Angel replied. "I guess that means one little boy per level. The ten big boys should be used for the top ten levels."

Gazzy nodded, dishing out four big boys and four little boys. He zipped the backpack up, then held it out towards me. I took it and grinned at him, trying to get that worried look off his face. "Relax, Gasser," I said, ruffling his hair. "Nothing's gonna happen to me, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to Angel."

He nodded again, though he clearly wasn't reassured. Iggy looked to be the same. Both boys were silent.

Blake, John, and Charlie helped Gazzy gather the bombs. "Better get going," John suggested. If that wasn't enough to get me going, he suddenly released his hold on the door. It banged open, and a handful of Erasers came rushing in, snarling. Without hesitation, I snatched Angel off the ground and raced towards them. I weaved through them effortlessly and passed through the door that John was nice enough to hold open for me.

Ignoring the sounds of battle behind me, I began to charge down the stairs.


	75. Seventy Four

**A/N: Hello! I am here once again, surprisingly only a few days after the last post. Let's see if I can keep this up! Anyway, I'm coming awfully close to that 400****th**** review…I feel like it's been forever since I've been able to write something like that in my author's note, haha. Anyway, please, please, PLEASE remember ('cause, you know, I really want that 400****th**** review, haha), criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

The trip down the stairs was…interesting. And quite enlightening, as it turned out. I learned something very important: When using super speed on a crowded staircase, it was hard to be stealthy. Very, very hard.

Like I said a while ago, the world didn't slow down for you. It was complicated enough trying not to trip over my own two feet. I'd never used my powers on stairs before, and I never would have if I'd known it would be so hard. Then there was the issue of trying to dodge the Erasers.

…yeah, it didn't work out. Barely a second passed before I crashed into an Eraser. It felt like the world was in slow motion as he began to tip. It was almost comical, how his eyes widened in surprise, trying to register the two bird girls that had come out of nowhere. All three of us went tumbling down that flight of stairs, and I was lucky to keep my grip on Angel.

When we hit the bottom, I allowed myself a second to lie there, sprawled, and groan. **Smooth,** Angel thought at me. I glared at her, readjusted my grip, and pushed myself to my feet. I took off again, right as the Eraser began to reach for my ankle.

So basically, any chance of stealth went out the window after I hit that first Eraser. (And, yes, I do mean _first._ Trust me, he wasn't the only one I hit…each time being accompanied by a mini-panic attack about the backpack I kept landing on possibly deciding to blow up.) By the time we finally reached the door marked '12,' it was safe to say that we had taken a couple dozen Erasers off the hands of the boys upstairs.

Then came the awkward moment when I had to open the door. I needed to set Angel down so I could fumble through my pockets to figure out which on the ID card was in. When I finally found it, the Erasers were only a few flights of stairs above us. Angel started screaming at me to hurry, and I started screaming at her to shut up. My third try at swiping the card in the keypad finally got the door open. Angel and I were barely able to slam the door behind us before the Erasers reached it.

It would only be a matter of time before _they_ got the door open, so we immediately took off. We hid the little boy in a janitorial closet before heading back to the stair door. There were a few Erasers guarding it, but Angel easily controlled them long enough for us to slip through.

Heading up the stairs was a little easier, and there were less obstacles in my path. It wasn't until we planted the little boy and our first big boy on level ten that things got ugly again.

The first sign that something was wrong was the sound of a fight reaching my ears. Before I could ask, Angel stated, "Those are the two boys who were being kept here. Erasers are supposed to be transferring them to the seclusion chamber so we don't get them, but they know we're here, and they're fighting back. They're outnumbered, ten to two." She looked up at me, her blue eyes strong and determined. "We have to help them!"

Well, we hadn't exactly come here to just _abandon_ them.

In a flash, we were near the fight against eight Erasers and two whitecoats. It wasn't hard to figure out which two were the experiments. There was a little boy about Angel's age weaving and dodging around Erasers, yelling orders to an older boy, who looked to be around my age. For a moment, I was startled. How could the child be the leader of the two?

Quickly, I found out that that wasn't quite the case. "Eight o'clock, high kick!" the boy yelled. I watched as the older did exactly as he was told, the toe of his sneaker slamming under the chin of an oncoming Eraser. "Six o'clock, right elbow!" Without even turning around, the older boy threw up his right elbow, shoving it right into the nose of another Eraser.

The little boy could see a step into the future.

**His name is Knell,** Angel thought at me. **The older one is the one with super speed, like you. He's Jay.**

I made my first move in the fight, jumping on an Eraser's back and wrapping my arms around his throat. He grabbed me by the shoulder of my windbreaker and easily whipped me over his shoulder. I landed shakily on my feet, but I didn't hesitate before punching him in the snout. It didn't faze him. His fist came swinging at my face, and I was barely able to lean back in time to avoid it.

"Maximum, knee!" Knell yelled at me. Without questioning it, I rammed the heel of my boot into the Eraser's knee. He howled and stumbled, losing his balance and falling onto his back. I gave his head a kick that a pro soccer player would've been proud of.

In less than a minute, we had won the fight. I pretended to dust my hands off, looking back at Angel. I pulled two bombs out of my backpack and handed them to her. She looked for the nearest possible hiding place and decided on what looked to be a storage room. While she disappeared into the doorway, I turned around to face Knell and Jay. Oddly enough, they didn't question the fact that I was giving a nine-year-old explosives.

"Thanks for the help," Jay said.

"No problamo. Any kid who likes to piss Itex off is practically family to me," I replied.

Jay extended a hand towards me. "I'm-"

"Jay, I know," I interrupted, giving him a rushed half-smile. I gave his hand a halfhearted shake. "I'm-"

"The famous Maximum Ride. I know." It was his turn to interrupt, and he offered me a goofy, lopsided grin. He scratched the back of his ginger-coated head, laughing deeply. His laugh reminded me of Santa Claus's. "Well, that's probably one of the most awkward introductions I've ever taken part in."

"About to be made even more awkward," I pointed out, then checked the clock hanging on the wall. "Me, Angel, and a boy named Gazzy have been planting bombs all over this place. We have ten minutes to plant the rest and get the hell out of here before…well, you get the picture."

Jay nodded. "I think I do."

I nodded, then glanced at the open doorway. "Hurry it up, Angel!"

**Oh, be patient. I'm almost done.**

_Patience isn't such a virtue when we have less than fifteen minutes to get out of here,_ I thought back. She didn't reply. About a minute later, she reappeared in the doorway, reporting that it was finished. She looked over her shoulder, undoubtedly at her work, then faced me again with the kind of innocent smile that only a young, megalomaniacal she-devil could manage.

Quickly, the smile slipped away. Her eyes widened as they focused on something behind me. _"Max, behind you!"_ she screamed at me.

For a millisecond, I stood, frozen. Quickly, I regained myself, whirling around to see what Angel was trying to warn me about. I turned just in time to see a whitecoat, lying on his chest on the ground and aiming a firearm at me, pull the trigger. My mind was barely able to process what was shooting at me before a hand shot in front of my face.

I blinked, surprised, staring at the tranquilizer dart that was being held an inch in front of my cheek. After a moment, I turned my head to look at Jay. He smiled slightly, bringing the dart closer to him, observing it.

"Horse tranquilizer," he said, almost in amusement. "This would've put you out for quite a while." After a moment, he turned and flung it at the whitecoat. I was startled to see it plant itself perfectly in his shoulder. For a moment, the whitecoat lied there, his eyes wide as his mind tried to comprehend what was going on. Then, his head collapsed to the tile. He was out like a light.

Having not batted an eye, Jay extended a hand towards Knell. "Shall we?" Wordlessly, Knell took his hand. Jay pulled him up into his arms, and I hoisted Angel in to mine. "Do you have an ID card for the door?" Jay asked. I nodded.

Knell grinned, shaking shaggy, sandy-blonde hair from his face. There was a twinkle in his watery green eyes, one I saw so frequently in the eyes of my flock. Now there was a boy who loved raising hell. "This is gonna be fun," he said.

I grinned at him. "Kid, I couldn't have said it better myself," I stated. Then, I ran for the door leading to the stairs, Jay right behind.


	76. Seventy Five

**A/N: Ever closer to that 400****th**** review, haha. I'm really hoping to get to that review before I finish this story…and just to put that into perspective for you, after this chapter, only five more regarding the story and a final author's note are planned. It would make my day…well, more like my **_**year**_** if I can get up to that 400****th**** review! (I find it kind of funny that I've spent this entire author's note talking about wanting 400 reviews…haha.) Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

With seven minutes left and the ninth and eighth levels completed, Angel, Knell, Jay, and I quietly entered level seven. **Gazzy's about to plant the bombs for level one,** Angel thought at me. **They want to know what you want them to do when he finishes.**

_Tell them to get out of here, and if they happen to run into Fang and Nudge, to tell them to turn right the heck back around and go back to the humans,_ I thought back. _We'll be out of here in a few minutes…where's Jane, by the way? We're sitting ducks in here until she gets here._

**She hasn't met back up with the others yet. When she does, they're gonna direct her down here.**

Damn. Where was she? _Alright. Tell Knell and Jay to be expecting a scary Australian girl to pop up out of nowhere._

It was silent a moment as Angel did as she was told. Then, she thought, **Okay, we need to split up. Half of us need to get Ethan, the other half Nicholas. Ethan's the conscious one, and they're trying to move him, too, except he can't fight back. He's chained to a gurney. They're also moving his son, Nolan, the one who's under the effects of sedatives, and they care more about getting Nolan away from us than they do Ethan.**

_Nolan's the priority, then,_ I thought. _I'll try and get him. You go plant the bombs. Tell Jay and Knell to go find Caleb._

Angel didn't make a move. **Are you sure you want me to leave, Max? There are seven Erasers and three whitecoats with Nolan. Will you be able to take them on by yourself?**

_We'll see,_ I replied, suppressing the _no_ that threatened to pop up. Seven Erasers…I had to admit, that worried me. _We're running out of time quickly, and this way we can knock out three birds with one stone._ Not an analogy that I had ever liked. _It's okay, Angel, trust me. I can do this._

Angel stared at me for another long moment, then sighed in resignation. Knowing that she was going to relay the plan to the boys, I turned and sped off, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Well, not suspicious so much as in the _suspicious_ sense (because then I'd only have to open my eyes), but more in the they're-moving-an-unconscious-kid-suspicious.

It wasn't long before I found it. I sped right into their sight, then immediately backpedaled until I was safely back behind a corner. I peeked around it, hoping that they hadn't noticed me. When none of them showed a sign of it, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I craned my neck to peer around the whitecoats. Lying on a gurney was a scrawny, delicate-looking boy, his head resting in a pillow of dark hair. There were four leather straps tied across the gurney, pinning him firmly in place - one across the chest, one across the stomach, one across the thighs, and one across the calves. Not that he would've been able to fight back, anyway. Angel was right: this kid was out could.

There were IV's trailing from his arms to bags filled with suspicious-looking fluids. A thin tube disappeared into his left nostril. A thicker one was poking out from his mouth.

_Oh, my god,_ I thought, feeling my eyes widen. They had the kid in a medically-induced coma!

Immediately, I felt my body twitching, aching with the need to race over to the kid and free him from his medicinal bondage. There was just something so heartbreaking about his absolute vulnerability. Why would they want a fragile-looking kid like that, no older than twelve or thirteen, in a coma?

**For the same reason they'd want you in one, Maximum.**

I blinked in surprise, the boy momentarily forgotten as I turned slightly, pressing my back against the wall. _Voice! Nice of you to have shown up for the first time in a while. How ya been? Mind being helpful for once and telling me what I should do?_

No reply. Figured. I sighed, turning back towards the kid. Despite how much I hated its ambiguities, the Voice was right. Of _course_ they'd want him in a coma. This was a high security prison, after all. Everyone was there for a reason.

The group finally came to a stop, and I was surprised to see that they had stopped by an elevator. I clenched my teeth. We had been fighting to use the stairs all this time, and all along they had had an _elevator?_ I could avoided all those near-broken bones and certain bruises…

One of the whitecoats reached out to press the call button. Realizing I had to act now, I rushed in.

The first two Erasers never had a chance. None of them saw my coming, and by the time the first Eraser let out a final howl before slumping to the floor, unconscious, I was on the second one. It wasn't long before a heel to the eye took him out, and then I was turning on a third. I was grabbed from behind, but I kicked backwards, slamming my boot into the Erasers knee. He howled, leaning over to clutch his knee. I grabbed him by the hair and kneed him in the face. He'd be feeling that in the morning.

I was tackled to the ground. I tried to fight this Eraser off, but barely a second passed before the last three were helping to pin me down. I had no chance, and a sinking feeling entered my gut as the elevator dinged, signaling the doors were about to slide open.

One of the whitecoats looked back at me and made eye contact. I could swear I saw him smirk.

He knew the same thing I did.

They were going to get away with Nolan.


	77. Seventy Six

**A/N: Imma start a countdown now. xD Six more reviews, people! I would love six people to death if they could boost me up to 400! Anywho, I'm afraid that soon I will be falling back to my old habit of writing short chapters. I am a diehard fan of cliffhangers (my apologies to all of those who have complained about them thus far, haha), and…well…let's just say that some things just **_**needed**_** to be cliffhangers. Also, because of this, there will be more chapters than I originally intended. So, remember, criticism and reviews are always (REALLY REALLY REALLY) welcome!**

…except that they didn't.

The second the doors opened, I distinctly heard a rough voice thickened with an Australian accent say, "Hey, how you doing?" Before the whitecoats even had time to comprehend what was going on, they went flying down the hall and out of sight. I heard crashes as their bodies slammed into walls, cages, and carts that were lying around.

Jane stepped out of the elevator, whipping a tangled, dark blonde curl from her face. She placed one hand on the side of Nolan's gurney, a smirk twisting her lips. The other hand raised, and she pointed directly at me. Her finger flicked to the right, and the Eraser holding me to my right flew away from me. It flicked left, and the Eraser to my left followed. She waved her hand, and the last two Erasers went flying backwards.

"Sorry for being late," Jane said, though she didn't sound sorry at all. With a flick of her wrist, the straps restraining Nolan were undone. Another flick, and the IV's were pulled from his arms. "You need me back down here for another one, don't you?" she asked. Before I could nod, she pulled Nolan into her arms bridal-style, proving a kind of strength that her small frame hid so well. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. A few seconds later, they were gone.

"Well, she seems like an angel," Jay said as he, Knell, and a dark-haired man who I assumed to be Caleb suddenly walked into sight. Jay looked around at the chaos that Jane had caused in less than thirty seconds. "Who is she?"

"Jane, a girl who was being kept here with her brother and two of her friends," I replied. I looked around for a clock and found one hanging on the wall over an Eraser-shaped hole. I bit my bottom lip, clenching and unclenching my fists. I wasn't usually a nervous person, but we were still only on level seven, and we only had four minutes left to plant four more bombs and get the hell out of there…

"I think we need to skip the bombs for levels six and five," Angel said, walking into sight. "We don't have the time. Besides, I think we have enough planted to render this place…" She scanned her mind for the best word. Finally, she decided upon, "Unusable."

After a few moments, Jane reappeared. "Jane," I said, starting towards her, "I should thank-"

"Blah, blah, blah." She pushed past me and reached out to take a hold of Caleb. "Save the gratitude for later, Ride. The four of you only have about three minutes to get the hell out of here. I suggest you hurry, 'cause three of your friends are waiting for you up on level one, and they don't exactly have your speed." Within the next few seconds, she and Caleb were gone.

"She's right," I stated, reached a hand out towards Angel. She took it, and I pulled her into my arms. I turned towards Jay and Knell, only to see that they were gone. I sighed. If only the elevator wasn't so slow…. Giving it a final, envious look, I raced to the level door. Sure enough, Knell and Jay were waiting. Without wasting a second, I unlocked it. We entered the stairs for the last time and raced towards freedom.

When we made it up to level one, I saw that the three friends Jane had been talking about were Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy. _Damn it,_ I thought as my eyes fell on Fang, _I _told_ him not to come back._

Now wasn't the time for bickering, though. "Come on!" I yelled at them, slowing down so that they could keep up with me. Jay did the same, but I called up to him, "Keep going! Get as far away from here as possible!"

With a final, hesitant glance, Jay turned and did as he was told.

Quickly, I noticed that a hole had been blown through the entrance. I gave Fang a startled look, and he only shrugged. "They skipped a little boy for one of the levels," he stated as if he was simply telling the weather. He spread his black, magnificent wings and took off into the sunset-painted sky. Angel and I quickly followed, and Iggy and Gazzy brought up the rear.

Fang, the only one who knew where the others were, led the way. I grinned, glancing back at the school, which only had seconds left to live. Then, I gazed around at my flock, sans Nudge. They were doing the regular victory routine, what with the whooping, the shouting, and the mid-air dancing. Gazzy was even flying backwards, something he must have perfected over the last couple years, yelling insults at the school. For an eleven-year-old that wasn't allowed to have a potty mouth, he sure knew how to damn that place to hell.

Suddenly, though, Gazzy silenced. Worried, I began to circle back towards him…but then he shot away from the flock, making a beeline towards the school.

_"Gazzy!"_ I screamed after him, feeling my heart jump up into my throat. "What're you doing?"

This caught the attention of the others. Immediately, they stopped flying, whirling around. I flexed my wings to take off after the eleven-year-old, but suddenly Angel's arms were around me. She almost took us both to the ground with that stunt, but she wasn't letting go.

"Don't stop him!" Angel cried.

_"Why the hell not?"_ I yelled, forgetting to watch my language.

Angel stared me dead in the eye. "Total!"

My heart stopped in my chest. Total. We had completely forgotten about our little black Scottie. I turned to face the school. Sure enough, Gazzy had landed, and he was running the last few yards towards Total, who had gotten an injured wing somewhere in the battle.

Without stopping, Gazzy bent over and scooped the dog up into his arms, then jumped back into the air, flapping his wings for all he was worth. He quickly did a U-turn, flying swifter than I'd ever seen him go before.

"They only have a few more seconds…," Angel whispered in terror.

The four of us watched in a state of near-paralysis, uselessly yelling at Gazzy to hurry up, praying desperately that the bombs would hold off for just a few more seconds, just long enough for Gazzy and Total to make it to us…

No such luck. The ground rumbled as the first bomb went off. This set off an instant chain reaction, and within the second, fire shot up towards the sky, almost blending in with the canvas of the sunset. Instantaneously, smoke erupted around the explosion, and the darkness swallowed Gazzy and Total whole.


	78. Seventy Seven

**A/N: Okay, when I began this chapter earlier today, I only had 397 reviews. I had an entire author's note written about wanting three more reviews...and then I went to post this. And saw. That there were. 406 REVIEWS! :DDDDD This makes me so happy! I love you guys soooooooo much! WOOT WOOT! You guys have no idea how happy that this makes me! Ahh, I love you guys! I love you guys SO MUCH. THANK YOU! Have I mentioned how much I love you all? Anyway, remember, though it's obvious you haven't been forgetting, criticism and reviews are always welcome! :DDDD**

Gazzy was certain that he had blacked out. As he lied there on the ground, eyes closed, holding Total tightly against his chest, he couldn't recall hitting the ground. One minute, he had been choking on smoke, the next, there he was, curled up on the ground, gasping for air but getting none.

He was feeling light headed, and blood was pounding in his ears. He knew that this was a bad sign, that he had to get up and move, but he couldn't. His body felt like it had been torn to shambles. Every last bone was aching, and Gazzy had figured out from just one attempt at moving that it just wasn't possible. He didn't know if any bones were broken or if any permanent damage was done, but he did know that he wasn't going anywhere.

Suddenly, he heard something. His eyes opened, but to no use; everything around him was black. He thought he had heard something…but it had been so faint, like someone trying whisper through static. He let his eyes slip shut after a moment, deciding he hadn't heard a thing.

But there it was again. It was just a little louder now…

"Max…?" Gazzy squeaked weakly, then burst into coughs. One arm retracted from around Total so that he could clutch his chest. He could feel himself rapidly slipping from consciousness, and he doubted that Total was even awake anymore…

And there that sound was again, even closer.

"Max," Gazzy tried to call out, but his voice came out as nothing more than a whisper. "Max…Max…!" His voice was hoarse. It wasn't working. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, gritting his teeth against the pain that burned through his body. "Max…"

_Two people were standing in front of him._

Gazzy gasped, the image suddenly snatched away. What in the world…?

_Everything was staticky. His entire body hurt…he couldn't see properly, couldn't hear…_

Slowly, the image became more and more familiar. Two people in front of him, one right in front of the other, one with their arms spread out. Yes, he distinctly remembered this, from their time at Lake Mead. When he had been racing Angel…when he had first used his new power.

_They only stood there. They must've been talking, but he couldn't hear them._

Even though his vision and hearing weren't any better, he suddenly understood what was going on in that vision. He knew _exactly_ what was going on.

_A faint popping sound…_

This was the first vision he had ever had. It was the one that had thrown everyone into a panic when he had suddenly dropped like a rock out at Lake Mead. It was the one that had bothered everybody as they had tried to figure out what had happened in it. Gazzy knew now, though, and he had to warn them. He had to let the others know, to get them out of there.

Suddenly, he found the strength he needed. "Max!" he screamed as loudly as he could, though he could barely even hear himself. He gasped deeply, trying to take in whatever fresh air he could, though he received nothing but smoke. "M…" He coughed deeply. _"MAX!"_

He remembered the words he had said to Max: _"Something bad is going to happen, Max. I just know it will."_

And if he was seeing these flashes, then it was going to happen soon.


	79. Seventy Eight

**A/N: Haha! We are finally at the part that it will all come down to…it's only taken me two years, haha. Can you believe that this story's second anniversary is next month? It makes me feel kind of…I don't know…old. Like a mother or something, haha. Anywho, please remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

I catapulted myself into the smoke without a second thought. Immediately, I gagged on the smoke. As I clutched my throat and struggled to breath, my wings involuntarily folded in. I plummeted for a few moments before I managed to get control of myself again.

Trying to keep myself from coughing, I screamed as loud as I could, _"Gazzy! Total!" _I strained my ears, listening hard for any sort of response. There was none.

My heart began to beat like thunder in my ears.

We had come too far.

Too. Far.

_They couldn't die now!_

"Ga-" I choked and burst into a coughing fit. The smoke was stinging my eyes, and I could feel the involuntary tears running down my cheeks from it. I ignored it, though, forcing my eyes to stay open, hoping to catch a glimpse of something - _anything._ "Gazzy!" I forced myself to yell, as loud as I could. My voice cracked. "T…Total! Where are you? Gaz-"

A hand suddenly reached out, catching the hood of my windbreaker. I immediately whirled, slapping the hand away, preparing myself to fight. As I struggled to see through the tears, though, I saw that it was only Iggy.

"Keep calling," he told me. "I'll listen. My hearing's better than yours."

I nodded, then thought of something. "Why…why didn't Angel come? Can't she sense him?" I asked.

Iggy was silent a moment, then shook his head. "She…" He coughed into his sleeve. "She couldn't get a thing when she tried to pick him up. She said she can feel that he's alive…" He coughed again. "But she can't track him. She says he might be having another vision or something."

A vision? At _this_ time? Of _all_ the freaking times? I shook it off, turning. Iggy and I coordinated our wing patterns, and I took his hand. After a few seconds of yelling, Iggy suddenly snapped, "Shh! I think I hear something!"

I silenced, looking at Iggy with the most desperate hope I had ever felt before. After a second, his tight, concentrated expression completely opened up. His blind eyes snapped open, and he immediately took off in the direction of whatever he had heard, dragging me along beside him.

We ended up diving to the ground. This time, I heard Gazzy calling out for me. I released Gazzy's hand and lunged in the direction of his voice. My hands came in contact with him, and immediately I wrapped my arms around him.

Gazzy's hands clutched at my windbreaker, frantic and frightened. "Ma…," he tried to say, but burst into a fit of coughing. He completely collapsed against me, and I realized how weak he must have been.

I released Gazzy, feeling around for Total. "It's alright," I choked out. "It can wait. Iggy, come get Gazzy!" My hands came in contact with the small dog. "Total?" I asked, feeling how limp he was. I shook away the fear, pulling him tightly to me. Iggy had Gazzy in his arms and was already flying away. I followed.

It felt like hours before we were out of the smoke again. The second my feet came in contact with the ground, I collapsed, falling to my elbows and knees, hacking. I was still clutching Total to my chest.

After a moment, a tender hand helped me into a sitting position. Fang took Total from me, cradling the Scottie in his arms. It was the gentlest I'd ever seen him treat the dog. Fang let a hand rest on Total's side. After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction. "He's breathing," he confirmed. "Just unconscious." He looked over his shoulder, where Iggy and Angel were sitting by Gazzy. "How are you, Gazzy?" he asked.

Gazzy didn't seem like he had heard Fang. His unfocused gaze was floating in my direction, though, and it was urgent. "Max," he said, too loudly. I could see that his vision was impaired, but was his hearing damaged as well? "M-Max…my…my first vision! Back at the cave…"

For a moment, I sat in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. Then, I remembered: Gazzy saw someone get shot. Why was it so important?

I remembered Iggy telling me that Angel thought Gazzy was having another vision. Immediately, I understood what Gazzy was trying to say.

It was about to happen.

"Max…get…" Gazzy began to hack, clutching his chest. He lost his balance and fell to his side. "Get out of here!" he cried, trying to push himself back into a sitting position.

I stared at him, suddenly, realizing who the two people in his vision were. Slowly, I rose to my feet. I didn't react when I heard the sudden snarling behind me. The others froze, and my eyes met Angel's. She looked mortified, but I didn't blame her for not warning us. She had been too preoccupied with Gazzy and Total's safety, and she hadn't been keeping a lookout. I understood.

Slowly, I turned around. I looked at the gun that a whitecoat was aiming at me. Then, my eyes rose to hers.

"Hello, Jacobson."


	80. Seventy Nine

**A/N: It's been thirteen days since I've updated. Gahhh. I can't fall behind now…I'm too close to the end! I wanna get this thing done and over with, haha. I guess that I do have some good news, though. I'm the worst bowler on my school's bowling team, but I bowled a 154 at our last match - and getting the second highest score of the game for my team. In the only other match I've played this season, I got a 73. Says a lot, no? Hahaha, anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Jacobson wasn't stupid enough to come alone. Through the corner of my eye, I saw maybe seven or eight Erasers quickly surrounding us. I noticed with disgust that one of them was Bane. With Gazzy and Total too injured to fight, I knew that we weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

I sensed Fang right behind me. _Angel,_ I willed the girl to hear me. I felt her presence in my mind, though it was wavering. Her stress was weakening her. _Tell Fang to take the eight o'clock position. Mentally guide Iggy to the four o'clock position. Stay with Gazzy and Total. Watch over them, and use your mind-controlling powers to keep any Erasers away from you. Don't get involved with the others, though; don't strain yourself. You need to save your strength for when we really need it._

I felt her hesitate. _Do it,_ I ordered. There was another hesitation, but then a faint feeling of resignation. I was relieved when Iggy and Fang began backing away from me to take their spots.

We had Angel, Gazzy, and Total completely protected. I could only hope that Iggy and Fang would be able to handle things after I was down for the count. **Don't think like that,** Angel suddenly snapped at me. **Gazzy's visions aren't set in stone, are they? We can change this one.**

I tried to hold it back, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking, _Set in stone? No. One hundred percent accurate thus far? Pretty much…_

**Max. Don't. Give. Up.**

I smirked slightly. _Wasn't planning on it, Angie._ I stood up tall, not willing to let a shred of weakness show. "So, Jacobson, what do you want?" I growled.

The woman's eyes narrowed. "You already know the answer to that, Maximum," she replied.

I was startled for a moment, but didn't let it show. "Oh, yeah, that's right. You want your precious children, who you sold off for money and didn't even try to get in contact with until _now._ I can completely understand that. I know how a mother feels for her children, seeing as I raised a couple kids. Oh, wait, that's _right_ - I raised _your_ kids." I shook my head in disgust. "Yeah, it's totally rational that you should want them _now."_

Her blue eyes were bright with a savage fire, but they had lost the glow from earlier. She was still weak from Iggy's lightning bug. Her mind hadn't fully recovered, which meant that these few minutes were quite possibly the only ones we had before she could completely overtake us. I could already feel her tickling at the back of my mind, but Angel was keeping her at bay.

"Be quiet, Maximum," Jacobson hissed, every word like poison. "You have no_ idea_ what you're talking about."

"Oh? Then enlighten me," I challenged. As I suspected, she didn't reply. "Exactly what I thought," I scoffed, shaking my head. "It seems that you don't have a clue about what you're talking about, either."

Jacobson clearly wasn't in the mood to be taunted. "So, you aren't going to let me take my children?" she asked. I gave her a look, clearly asking her if she _really_ had to ask me that. Instead of the irritated or angry look I'd anticipated, she just shook her head very slowly, as if I had made a very grave mistake. "Then you leave me no choice, Maximum," she said quietly, her severity in her eyes emphasizing her intentions.

Before anyone had the chance to react, she pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit me square in the chest, jerking me around. I felt a bright flare of pain, sparking through my chest and shooting through me like lightning. It knocked the breath out of me, forcing me to my knees, clutching my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, aware I wasn't breathing but not being able to do anything about it. It felt like a hundred of Iggy's lightning bugs had been jammed into my chest…a _thousand_ of them…

And then it was gone.

Just like that.

I wasn't aware that I was lying on my side until I opened my eyes and was met with blades of grass. I looked past them, trying to see my flock, just one last time.

Time felt like it stopped. I could feel my body tingling with the numbness. The darkness was trying to close in on my vision, but I struggled to hold it back. Gazzy was the first I saw. He, too, was on his side. His blue eyes, wide with shock, stood out like beacons against his ashen face. His lips quivered, and I realized he was trying to say my name as he struggled to recover from the explosion.

Angel was next. Her face was carved with terror, darkening her bright, young face in ways a nine-year-old's face should never have to experience. I could sense her need to run to me, to protect me, but shock glued her to her spot next to her brother and Total. I was thankful for it. Angel would not be doing good by getting captured by her mother.

Then, there was Iggy. I felt my heart twist at the terrible confusion on his face. I felt it drop as if melted into a look of horror as he realized what had happened. There was a fear there, a horrible fear that pained me. _I'm sorry,_ I wanted to call out to him, but I didn't have the strength to. I felt tears prick at the backs of my eyes. _I promised you, didn't I? Promised you that I'd never leave you again. Oh, Iggy…everyone, I am so sorry._

Not thinking, I looked around for Nudge. I almost started crying when I realized that she was with the humans. At least she was safe, though.

Finally, there was Fang. His expression hurt most of all.

It was completely and utterly blank.

He just stood there like a statue, his eyes on me, mine on him. It was as if he was trying to comprehend that it was actually possible that he might have to go on without me. I could tell how impossible he considered that thought to be.

And then time started back up again. With a signal from Jacobson, the Erasers charged. Something in Iggy's face changed - the blankness of the terror was quickly consumed by the contorted expression of rage - and he whirled to meet them head-on. From out of nowhere, there was an explosion of fire from him, spinning around him and reaching into the sky in two graceful arcs…almost like phoenix wings. With a battle cry, he ran back at the Erasers.

I saw Gazzy struggling to get to his feet, and I was surprised to see Total get up with him. An Eraser came at them, but Angel stopped it quickly; the next one, though, she wasn't able to control. Total lunged at him, teeth bared. Gazzy charged after him to help, and Angel, with such a gravity about her that I had never seen before, turned towards her controlled Eraser with a dark glint to her eyes.

And then there was Fang. Still standing there. Still staring. I willed him to fight, but he didn't move an inch. The lights were on, but nobody was home. His lips mouthed my name, and I wanted to reach out towards him. My arms were dead weights, though. They wouldn't budge.

Movement from behind Fang caught my attention.

Bane was almost on him, claws extended and teeth bared.


	81. Eighty

**A/N: Hmm…I would give some pointless author's note for this chapter, but it seems that I don't have one. Anyway, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

Bane didn't make it a step further. Out of nowhere, Nudge dive-bombed him, taking him to the ground. He reacted quickly, knocking her off of him and rolling over onto his back. He lunged at her and swiped, but his claws went straight through her. He landed behind her, and Nudge whirled, swinging her elbow to collide with the back of his head. The impact jolted Bane forward, but one of his hands still managed to reach out and grab a hold of Nudge's arm. The grip lasted for less than a second before his fingers suddenly slipped through her arm.

Angel, meanwhile, was locked in a battle of her own. She and her mother stood a mere ten feet apart, but if someone hadn't known better, they'd have said that they were seeing a woman looking into a height-distortion mirror. They both stood with their feet planted firmly against the ground, fists clenched tightly, teeth gritted. Their blonde hair, crackling with energy, flew around their near-identical faces, giving them the illusion of falling through air. Their vicious, narrowed blue eyes were glowing like lights in the darkness of the night. The only true difference between the two were Angel's snow-white wings, spread and flexed tightly, stretched as far as they could go.

Angel knew that this was her only chance to defeat her mother. She was still disoriented from Iggy's lightning bug, but it would be a matter of minutes before she was at full-strength again.

_**Come with me,**_ Diana's voice whispered in the back of her mind. _**You and the Gasman will be safer with me.**_

__**I don't care.**

_**You are only children, Angel. You don't fully understand the way things are. You don't know the severity of your actions. I know that your mistakes are made purely because of your age, but the others aren't as understanding as I am. Any mistake you make could be fatal.**_

__Angel felt a spark of fire inside of her. **I. Don't. CARE!**

Despite her resistance, she could feel her mother pushing her further and further back by the moment. With each passing second, Jacobson was becoming stronger and stronger, making the battle more and more difficult for Angel. She wouldn't last the next minute again Jacobson, she was absolutely certain.

_**You'll be in safer hands, sweetie.**_

Hands. Immediately, Angel was reminded of two pale, rough hands reaching out for her, reading to stick a syringe into her wrist. She remembered cold, uncaring hands yanking her from her cage, pushing her into mazes, forcing her to work. She could perfectly envision bloody talons disguised as helping hands, tricking her and letting her fall back to the ground.

And then there was her first ever memory.

Two hands, small and soft, tenderly pulling her from her cage when she had been two years old. A girl's face smiling gently down at her, her own light brown hair falling in straggles. Soft brown eyes gazing down at her…the same eyes that would look after her for the rest of her life, always watching her back. Those same hands had raised her like they had belonged to her mother…

Max.

And the hands of her biological mother had pulled the trigger that was going to end Max's life.

The spark that Angel had felt before caught hold. She could feel something spreading through her like wildfire, burning through her veins like blood. There was a waver in Jacobson's face as Angel pushed her back. By the raging fire in her daughter's eyes, Jacobson knew that she had just made a very, very horrible mistake.

_"NO HANDS,"_ Angel screamed out loud, _"ARE SAFER THAN MAX'S!"_

What happened next couldn't have been described as anything more than an explosion. Jacobson's strength was completely obliterated by Angel's own. The woman, seeming to feel it physically, tumbled to her knees. She clutched her chest, struggling to breath. Her face was no longer composed; instead, it was the epitome of terror. She could feel Angel's relentless forces, still pushing at her, and she was too helpless to defend herself. She screamed, her hands flying to her head. Then, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to her side, convulsing.

Angel turned away from Jacobson, not bothering to spare the injured woman a second glance. Instead, she focused on the battle against the Erasers around her.

Nudge had managed to knock Bane down. He was on his feet in a second, but Nudge was one step ahead of him. She became tangible again, knocking his legs out from beneath him in a graceful sweep kick. He fell to the ground, and she landed in a crouching position.

She didn't see his next move coming until it was too late. His legs lashed out, catching Nudge in the shoulder. She cried out, cascading onto her back. Before she could regain herself, Bane was on her, claws extended, eyes bloodthirsty.

He was ripped away.

Fang effortlessly hurled the Eraser back, despite his massive size. Bane rolled across the ground but managed to push himself up into a crouching position before he came to a complete stop. He bared his teeth, glaring up at Fang as he prepared himself for his next move.

He stopped before he'd even made a move.

Nudge had stood and was now standing a few feet behind Fang. Gazzy and Total were finished fighting, and slowly they turned to face him. Iggy, though no longer a human inferno, still had flames rising from his body as he turned away from the scorched corpses that had once been Erasers. Angel's cold, unsympathetic eyes, still glowing, landed on him as she turned to face him. Seeing this scene before him unnerved Bane; it _scared_ him. He felt like his heart had gone cold.

Yes, Bane had seen the flock fight before; he had seen them take out many of his comrades in the midst of battle. But not like this. Never like _this._

In those other battles, they had never charged right back like this. They had always been trying to escape, to run away. And they had _always_ had some sort of help - whether they used their wings or explosives, that had always had _something._ But now…aided by nothing but their bare hands and their powers…he had never seen them take down Erasers when outnumbered.

And…there was something in their eyes…something strong, terrifying. It was a burning defiance, a resilience, a power beyond their years. Suddenly, Bane understood why the flock had never been defeated. Their leader may have been down for the count, but the flock would not be beaten down. At that moment, Bane knew that they never would be.

There was something else in Fang's eyes, too…something that honestly terrified Bane.

It was a lust for blood.

Revenge, for his dying lover.

Knowing he had no other choice if he wanted to survive, Bane turned and ran. Something shifted in Fang's face at that moment, and suddenly the black-haired young man was charging after the Eraser. His wings spread, and he launched himself into the air. He wasn't going to let Bane get away. He wasn't willing to let anyone leave this with a beating heart.

_"Get back here!"_ he roared. He thought he heard something in the back of his head, like a little girl calling his name, but he ignored it. He didn't even spare it a single thought. All that he could think about was Max, bleeding on the ground, dying. It didn't matter to him that Bane wasn't the one to pull the trigger. All that mattered was that Bane was working beside the woman who _had._ Guilty by association. That made him a dead man in Fang's eyes.

**Fang,** Angel tried again, her voice getting stronger. Upon being ignored again, she screamed, **FANG!**

Fang felt the familiar sensations of mind-control leaking through him. Within seconds, Angel had forced him to a complete stop. **Listen to me,** the nine-year-old girl snapped angrily, her voice booming in his mind. **Let him go! Max is more important than Bane! She needs you here **_**now!**_

He felt Angel release him. For a moment, he hovered there, frozen. Then, a cold horror overtook him.

_Max!_

He whirled and returned to the rest of the flock as quickly as he could. He landed twenty feet away, immediately racing towards them. They were all gathered around Max. A moment ago, they had looked like they could conquer the world if they wanted to, but now all the fight had drained from them. They looked like frightened children all over again.

Fang fell to his knees beside Max. She had regained consciousness, and was gazing blearily up at him. "Fang…," she whispered softly.

Without hesitation, Fang took her hand. He raised it to his lips, kissing it softly. He set it back down on the ground, then folded both hands over her bullet wound. Fang pressed down, and Max flinched, but gave no other sign of pain.

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Gazzy cried.

Nudge just shook her head, tears streaking from her eyes. "There isn't one close enough. We'll never get her there in time," she sobbed.

"We can't just let her die," Iggy yelled. His pale hands were pulling at his strawberry blonde hair, and his milky blue eyes were wide with horror. "Oh, god…oh, my god, Max, you can't die on us! Do you understand me? You promised me that you'd never leave us again…you swore…" His hands fell to the ground as his body threatened to fall forward. He hung his head. His hair hid his face, but they could all see the tear drops falling onto his hands.

Max reached out with her hand, gently laying it on Iggy's arm. Iggy immediately latched onto it like a lifeline, holding it to his face, crying silently. "Ig…so sorry…I'm so sorry. I love you…you know I do. Always been the voice of reason…not afraid to tell us how wrong we were…

"Gaz. Nudge." If possible, the two crowded in closer. "My two little troopers…always ready to pick up where someone else left off. And…Fang-"

"Shut up."

Max wasn't giving up. "Fang-"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "You're not going to die, Maximum! You're _not_ going to die on us! You know we need you too much. You know _I_ need you too much."

But Max only reached up with her free hand, cupping Fang's cheek. "Angel-"

"Nolan's awake."

Angel's interruption startled them all. Angel, previously looking down at the ground, looked up. She wiped her tear-streaked face on the back of her hand, a new light shining in her eyes. "Nolan's awake!" she repeated, stronger this time. "We have to get her to him! He can save her!"

"What?" Nudge asked. "H…how?"

"There's no time for explanations," Angel replied, shaking her head. She jumped to her feet. "We have to get to the others, _now!_ Max doesn't have much longer!" Without waiting, she jumped into the air, flying away. The others sat there for a moment, paralyzed. Then, Nudge followed. Gazzy took Iggy's hands and did the same. Fang hesitated a second, the scooped Max into his arm's, bridal-style.

"You're not going to die, Max," he repeated quietly, then took off into the air. The others followed Angel, letting her white wings guide them like beacons through the night.


	82. Eighty One

**A/N: Haha, thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I rather enjoyed writing that last chapter, though the bit with Angel and Jacobson just, for some reason, wasn't working out well, which is the reason for the late update. Anyway, I think this chapter might make you all a bit happier. ^.^ I know it's gonna make me happier. After this, there are only two more planned chapters…YES. FINALLY. Let's see if I can get them knocked out before January 10, now, shall we? Anywho, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

By the time they could see where they had left the others, Max had lost consciousness again.

Fang looked down, trying to figure out who would be Nolan. He could immediately scratch off the three humans…actually, four, including the one that had been traveling with the Australian siblings and the albino. That left…just two boys, surprisingly enough. The Australian siblings and the albino were nowhere to be seen, nor were any of the others that Angel had told them about.

**The boy with the black hair is Nolan,** Angel thought at him. **The others are out looking for a…life donor.**

_Life donor?_ Fang thought, then shook it off. Now was no time for questioning. He did another quick scan of the general area, and then he saw who he assumed to be Nolan. Nolan was a scrawny, dark-haired boy, but the silver eyes staring up at Fang held an age-old gravity to them. Fang held his gaze for a second, then all five bird-kids along with the bird-dog began to rapidly descend. Seeing this, Nolan took off towards where he assumed they were landing. They swung their legs beneath them for a better landing. They were running the instant their feet were on the ground.

"Lay her down," Nolan called. He met them halfway, and immediately, Fang sank to a kneeling position, gently laying Max on the ground. Nolan put a hand over the wound, seeming not to care that he was pressing his hand against a slick sheet of blood. His eyes closed, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. After a moment, his eyes opened.

"Angel, you're the only one who will understand what I'm talking about, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Angel replied. "I haven't told the others yet."

Nolan nodded, as if he had expected this. "Well, then, I'll be addressing you." His eyes rose. Though he wasn't glaring, his gaze seemed to burn holes. "She's too close to death. I can only safely take half."

Angel hesitated, then nodded. "I understand. You have yourself to look after, too. How long will you survive with half?"

But Nolan was no longer paying attention. Both of his hands were folded over Max's wound, his eyes firmly closed. There was a bright flare of light beneath his hands, immediately drawing the eyes of the flock to it. For a second, nothing happened; then, Nolan's shoulders suddenly hunched forward. There was a strange, low groan deep in his throat that cut off abruptly, and his mouth flew open as he began to hack. Blood flew from his lips.

"Oh, my god," they heard Annette, whose presence they'd forgotten about until now, cry. "Are you okay?"

Nolan either ignored her or hadn't heard her. The light flashed even brighter, pulsating beneath his hands, illuminating himself and Max in a pure white light. Nolan gave a short cry of pain before cutting himself off, biting his bottom lip so hard it bled.

After a second, Fang saw why.

In the white light, the blood stood out like a sore thumb…and not just Max's. Blood was beginning to seep through the front of his hospital gown, in the exact same spot as where Max's gunshot wound was.

Fang's eyes widened in shock. Was Nolan _taking_ Max's wound from her? Was that his power? But, then…wouldn't Nolan just be trading his life for Max's?

Suddenly, the light vanished, and Nolan collapsed forward onto Max, half-coughing, half-screaming. Before the others could react, he pushed himself into a sitting position with one arm, clutching his chest with the other hand. "God," he murmured, eyes squeezed shut in pain, a few drops of blood flying from his lips, "I'm not looking forward to doing that again." He coughed, nearly losing his balance. Nudge caught him by the shoulder, helping to keep him up. "Is she stable, Angel?" Nolan asked.

"Are _you?"_ Angel asked.

He grimaced. "Stable enough," he growled out through gritted teeth. "Really hope someone…" He winced. "…gets back soon, though."

Several more tense minutes past, broken only by a few low noises of pain from Nolan. Final, there was the sound of two bodies hitting the ground. Everyone turned to see Jane lunging at an Eraser, a pair of scissors that she must have gotten from the school clenched tightly in her hand. She dug them deeply into his shoulder, but she couldn't get back in time to avoid his swinging arm. His hand caught her upside the face, knocking her to the ground.

Jane caught herself on her hands and knees, then looked over at the others. Four bloody streaks had been raked across her cheek. "Well, don't just sit there!" she screamed in frustration. "I got him for you, didn't I?"

The Eraser grabbed for her. She rolled out of the way, managing to plant a firm kick in his face on the way. She vanished, then reappeared on his back, throwing him off-balance and knocking him to the ground. Her face tightened with an intense concentration. Before the Eraser could grab her and throw her off, they were both gone. Gazzy and Total could barely scramble out of the way before Jane and the Eraser landed where they had been.

"You little bitch," the Eraser snarled, knocking her off of him and pushing himself into a kneeling position. His upper lip curled back into a snarl, revealing one gold tooth.

The Eraser didn't even seem to notice the avian mutants before Total shook his head. "Oh, Bane, man," he growled, "you just can't seem to catch a break." Slowly, Bane turned away from Jane, and his eyes widened when he saw the flock staring back. Before he could react, though, a glaze crept over his eyes.

Angel smiled a little too sweetly. "Why don't you lie down and relax a little?" she suggested, though they all knew that it was a command. Bane stared at her, obviously trying to fight her control over him, but he wasn't strong enough. He fell onto his back, and his legs and arms jerkily stuck themselves outwards, like he was being crucified. His terrified eyes flicked back and forth, but there was nothing he could do as Nolan forced himself to his feet and stumbled over to him.

Nolan fell to his knees beside Bane, his hands moving to the Eraser's chest in the exact same area that his own wound was. The light flared again, but Fang didn't have to guess to know what was going on. If Nolan could take injuries, why couldn't he give them, too?

The humans and the flock expected some sort of reaction from Bane – screaming, howling, _anything_ – but there was nothing but a strange silence. As each second passed, Angel's face tightened more and more with concentration. Fang knew why; when someone was in pain, they usually reverted to their basic instincts. The less conscious some movements were, the harder they were to control. Fang was proud of the little girl when Nolan, now perfectly uninjured, easily stood and turned to face the others.

"You have a good grip on him?" he asked Angel. She gave a quick, curt nod. "Alright. The rest of you should get in position to hold him down anyway." He knelt down beside Max, his hands moving over her wound. Though still existent, it was much shallower and much less malevolent than before. "After all, we're only halfway done with him."


	83. Eighty Two

**A/N: Ha ha! Second to last chapter! You guys have no idea how incredibly happy this makes me! It's looking like I'm going to finish this before its second birthday. WOOT. Then I can focus more on **_**Everybody Gone Mad**_** and a Digimon FanFiction that I'm trying to start up, **_**Friendly Faces.**_** Anyway, this one and the next one are gonna be kinda short…I'm sorry about that, but it's looking like that's just the way is has to be. Other than that, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!**

"You know," Fang said quietly to me, "they're going to be in a lot of danger from now on."

I followed his gaze over to where the humans were.

Angel was leaning against Annette, whose arm was wrapped around her. Total, who seemed to have grown an instant liking to the woman, was sitting in Annette's lap as she stroked his fur. Gazzy was sitting in between Roger and Annette, deep in conversation with Roger. It must have been about either explosives of fighting, because Gazzy only grinned that broadly when it came to those things.

Iggy was sitting with his back against a tree. Phoebe sat between the V formed by his legs, leaning against him. Phoebe and Nudge were speaking enthusiastically to each other while Iggy, though obviously irritated by their girlish chatter, tried to follow along.

It made my heart warm to see the four of them so happy, so content. It was what they deserved, after all. But Fang _was_ right. Roger, Annette, and Phoebe had been pulled into this situation against their wills. They knew too much about us, about Itex. They had seen just how evil Itex could be. This put them on Itex's wanted list, and, being normal humans uneducated in the field of combat, they would be easy pickings for Erasers.

"I know," I said quietly. "They're gonna have to learn how to live life as fugitives, and we don't have the time to teach them. They're gonna have to learn it by themselves."

Fang nodded. "So what do you think happened to Jacobson?"

I shrugged, thinking back to the run that Angel, Jay, Knell and I had made not so long ago. We had returned to where Angel had left Jacobson convulsing, only to find her gone. "Knowing her, she probably recovered and ran off. I don't think she's given up on Gazzy and Angel, either." I sighed, falling onto my back to stare up at the night sky. "We're not done with her. Not by a long shot."

"No," Fang agreed, "but if we handled her once, we can do it again." He leaned down, kissing me on my forehead.

I would have been content to lie there forever, but Angel thought at me, **We have to get going soon. The school sent out a distress call before we blew it up. It's only a matter of time before the backup shows up.**

I sat up. Angel must have broadcasted this thought to everyone, because Fang stood, offering me a hand. I took it, and he helped me up. I looked around to see everyone heading towards me, waiting for me to give orders.

Well, first thing first, I had to deal with the issue of the humans. "Roger, Annette, Phoebe, we can't take you with us. You're going to have to lie low - and by low, I mean _low._ Come up with fake IDs, don't trust anyone, and don't stay in the same spot for more than a few days. Stay on the run, okay? Even if you think you've found the safest spot in the world, they will _always_ find you."

They nodded, as if having expected this. "I would try to get you guys to Goessel's downtown, but, according to Fang, it's the size of a neighborhood," I continued. "You'd be spotted pretty quickly. Wichita's roughly fifty miles away. I guess I could give you guys a lift there, one-by-one."

"No need," Jay said. "You're the leader here, and everyone needs you around right now. So just stay here and keep on being all leaderly."

I hesitated. "You sure?"

"Confident," Jay replied, more chipper that a recently-escaped prisoner should be. "Although, I might need a little help with the man. I'm not the strongest buckaroo, as you can imagine." He looked over his shoulder, back at Jane. "Would you mind giving me a hand? You would only have to deal with the man. I'll take the two women."

"Don't know if I can," Jane replied. "Teleporting around with passengers isn't exactly easy, you know. I've been doing it all day, and it's tired me out. I'll try."

Jay offered Annette a piggy-back ride. Awkwardly, she accepted, giving a startled, "Oh!" when Jay lifted her off the ground. "I suggest you hold on tightly," Jay said. "I don't think you've ever gone quite this quickly before." Jay gave Annette enough time to readjust her grip before taking off. Her surprised scream faded quickly.

Jane took Roger by the arm. Without a word, she squeezed her eyes shut, her face tightening with concentration. A long moment passed before the two finally vanished.

Jay was back not ten seconds later. Iggy, trying not to look jealous, gave Phoebe a quick kiss before she got on Jay's back. They went off again right as Jane reappeared. "Alright, then," she said, clapping her hands together. "Boys, let's get going. You heard the little girl. More of those nasties are bound to be here soon."

Before Charlie, John, and Blake could respond to her order, I said, "Wait." All eyes turned to me. "I…actually have a proposition for you guys. For all of you." Jay returned, stopping beside Knell. With all of them now here, I took a deep breath and said, "I think all eight of you should become a group."

I was met with silence.

Eight pairs of eyes were watching me skeptically.

"What?" I demanded to know, hands on my hips. I raised an eyebrow at them. "I think it's a damn fine idea."

Blake's head tilted to the side slightly. He didn't look too convinced - and neither did the others, for that matter. "Well, it certainly isn't the worst," he reasoned. For the first time, I realized how soft his voice was. It was almost shy-sounding, like a mouse's. "But, Maximum…you have to think about it…all eight of us? That's a large amount of people to look after."

I looked around at my flock. Gazzy and Total were covered in smudge from the smoke from head to toe; Iggy's clothes were sustaining heavy burns, and he'd somehow lost his other shoe in the fight; Nudge's bare feet were bloodied, and her hair was a messy frizz; Angel's shorter hairs were raised into the air, full of static electricity from the fight I heard about between her and her mother; and Fang was scratched up, his hands covered in my blood. I looked down at myself, taking in my torn shirt, drenched with blood from the little incident from earlier. Then, I looked back up at the others. "Well, the seven of us haven't been doing so bad."

Jane snorted. I glared at her, and she offered nothing more than a cocky smirk. Her brother rested a hand on her shoulder in the universal way of saying 'back off.' "That is true," John admitted, "but…we didn't grow up together, like you did. We don't know how well we would work together, or even who the leader would be. It'd be a ticking time bomb."

…I hadn't thought of that.

Thankfully, Angel was there to back me up. "It's worth at least a try, though, isn't it?" she asked. "You don't know that you _won't_ work well together. Plus, there's safety in numbers. You'd have more back-up in a fight."

She was met with silence. Most of the others didn't exactly look willing, but Jay shrugged. "Oh, what the hell. Why not?"

Charlie looked at his super-powered friends. "Might as well," he suggested.

Jane's eyes narrowed at him. "Who gives a rat's ass what you-"

"You know, Jane, you are such a-"

"Oh, children, children, children," Blake interrupted, shaking his head like a stressed parent. "I think we've already established how dearly affectionate you are of each other. Save the terms of endearment." He sighed. "But I agree with Charlie. Might as well."

Jane looked to her brother for back up. John just shrugged, grinning at his sister. He stepped towards Charlie and Blake. Jane sighed in irritation, running a hand through her tangled, blonde hair. "Whatever. _Whatever."_ Jane _was_ a badass, but even the baddest one in the world was still an ass.

Caleb looked down at Nolan, obviously asking for the boy's opinion. Nolan just shrugged. Caleb sighed slightly, wrapping an arm around his son's shoulders. "Looks like we're on board, too," he said, albeit hesitantly. He still wasn't sure about this. None of the others were, except for Jay, who was only in it for the test run. If the test run failed, they could do whatever they wanted…but, in my opinion, it really was worth a try.

"Max," Angel said, "we have to get going. All of us do. The whitecoats sent out a distress call before the school blew up, so it's only a matter of time before the backup shows up."

I turned towards her and nodded, not surprised. "Alright." I looked back at the others. "I guess this is where we say goodbye. A little word of advice: don't get caught again."

Jane snorted. "As if we couldn't have already guessed that, Ride."

I paused, tilting my head to the side. I looked her up and down, and she gazed levelly back, obviously waiting for some kind of retort. I straightened my head and smiled at her, slowly shaking my head. "You know, Jane," I said, laughing slightly, "you really _are_ a bitch."

Jane grinned back at me, and I was surprised to see how earnest it was. "Thanks," she replied, not entirely sarcastically.

We stood there a moment longer. Then, I gestured to my team. "U and A," I told them. Angel turned and took a running start. Gazzy and Iggy, hand-in-hand, quickly followed, as did Nudge, who was holding Total. Fang hesitated a second, gazing back at me. He smiled - actually _smiled _- then took off after the others. I began to follow, but a shout of, "Hey!" pulled me to a stop. I turned to see Jay jogging up to me.

Jay grinned. "I want to race you," he stated. He must have seen how incredulous I was, because he quickly added, "Not right now, of course. There's a bit too much going on right now, as we're both well aware of. But…someday. When we meet again, I want to race you." He tilted his head to the side slightly, throwing his ginger bangs across his forehead. "Just a forewarning, Maximum, so you can prepare yourself."

I stood there a moment, then laughed. "Whatever you say, Jay. Good luck - you're gonna need it." I turned and took a running start. Right before launching myself into the air, I called back to him, "I've never lost a single race!"

**A/N: Hehe. That last line is a reference to the prologue. ^.^ And HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! :DDD**


	84. Epilogue

We were planning on going to Dr. Martinez's to rest up and plan our next move. We had made it just past the border between Oklahoma and Kansas before we decided that it was time to call it a night, even though the sun had risen not so long ago. We spotted a patch of woods and turned some tree branches into beds. They weren't ideal, but they would do, especially to six exhausted birdkids.

Well…I guess that I wasn't that much of a kid anymore, come to think of it. Neither were Fang and Iggy. I leaned against the trunk of the tree and looked around at the sleeping flock, feeling a pang of sadness. It wasn't the first time I'd realized how much growing up they had done without me around, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

There was a rustle of leaves as someone jumped down onto my branch. Not alarmed, I looked up to see Fang now sitting beside me.

"Decided to take first watch, huh?" he asked.

"Mhm," I hummed, shifting my weight so I could lean against him. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me closely. "Forgot to ask for volunteers before they were all out like lights. I don't think I would've gotten any, anyway."

Fang nodded. "I'll stay up with you," he offered.

"You don't have to," I replied, but he didn't make an effort to move away. Not surprised, I snuggled against him. His head rested on top of mine. I smiled. It was hard to believe that, only nine days ago, I'd been tapping on his window like a stranger to speak to him in the first time in three years. "It's been a hell of a week, hasn't it been?" I asked quietly, my eyes closing.

Fang laughed. It was a soft, quiet sound, but a laugh all the same. "They always are when you're around," he pointed out. "But you know what? They're worth it." He shifted his head slightly. "Life is one hell of a ride when you're around, but it's all worth it." He kissed me on my forehead. "Just to stay by your side."

I smiled, tilting my head up so that we were nose-to-nose.

If only we had a camera for these Hallmark moments, huh? The only time when a camera's been handy in the past, though, was when people were taking pictures of the kids with wings. And people wonder why I hate fancy restaurants and football games.

A quiet groan snapped us out of it. We looked down to see Gazzy tossing and turning in his sleep. We looked at each other, both obviously thinking the same thing: _vision._ Quickly, we jumped down to his branch and crawled over to where he was lying, sprawled.

"He havin' 'nother vision?" Iggy, still half-asleep, mumbled.

"Probably," Fang replied as I took Gazzy's head in my lap.

"Gaz?" I asked. His body shuddered, and slowly his eyes opened.

"Jail," he gasped, immediately shooting into a sitting position. He turned around so that he was facing us. He looked terribly confused. "It wasn't just one vision this time…it…it was like a whole collage of them, rushing by. You guys…you're gonna end up in jail, and…for some reason, Nudge isn't around. And Dr. Martinez is there, and Jeb too." Another tremble ran through his body. "And Jacobson with Erasers…and…a guy I don't recognize, around your guys' age, with curly, blonde hair and blue eyes. I think he knows you, Max."

Fang and I held eye contact for a long moment. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's okay, Ig," I called up to Iggy, who was preparing to move closer to us. "Go on back to sleep, both of you. We're all pretty tired, so we'll worry about it in the morning, okay?"

Gazzy looked hesitant, but I grinned at him and ruffled his hair. "It's okay. Just get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow." Without allowing a word of protest, I climbed back up to my branch. Fang followed. He settled himself beside me.

"So what do you think's gonna happen?" he asked.

I shrugged. "No idea." Then, I grinned, looking up at the stars poking through the canopy of leaves. "But we're gonna see soon enough."

**A/N: I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE I'M DONE. :DDD You guys have no idea how absolutely happy this makes me. I mean…I'M DONE. There will be a final author's note soon, which is an optional read…I'm not doing it for any real reason other than a few thanks and some plans for the future in regards to this story. Also, I'm not planning on writing a sequel, but if I get enough requests for one, I'll do it. Just not soon. xD Anywho, remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome! And, anyway…I'M DONE!**


	85. Final Author's Note

Hello, all of you who decided to read this. This is ImmaBeatYouWithaCrowbar speaking as ImmaBeatYouWithaCrowbar, not Max. This, obviously, is my final author's note.

First off, I'd like to thank you all. Every single person who has ever left a review for this story, thank you so, so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate the reviews, even the criticism. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see that I finished this story with over four hundred reviews. They say that kids get more excited over these things…and, hey, I'm fifteen. I'm bound to be pretty dang chipper. (Hey…I just realized that I started this story when I was thirteen. DANG. That was an eternity ago, wasn't it?)

Even though I appreciate all the reviews, there are a few people that I have to specifically thank:

**For Being the First Ever Reviewer:**

Just Kami now - _You should be credited with the existence of this entire story. You were the first person to ever comment on this story, and the only person to comment before I wrote the second chapter. I never would've gone past the prologue if you hadn't left that review._

**For Being Dedicated Reviewers:**

emotionalpoemgirl - _Second reviewer! And you stuck around for a long time! :D_

BlueStripedPolo - _You were probably the one who most consistently gave me criticism. Thank you._

lillypad22 - _It's not every day I get to meet someone who loves Iggy as much as I do. ;D_

wolfhead - _You are one of two people that really kept me going there for a while._

zammielicious98 - _You're the other one that really kept me going through the rough spot._

**For Reviewing Several Different Chapters in One Day Until I Was at 400 Reviews:**

Terrace Lily - _Haha, I loved your reviews. They were all so entertaining. xD_

**For Mentioning Me in Their Profiles:**

Lacking Stealth - _Thank you so much for mentioning my story in your profile. I really appreciate that. You don't know how much. And your reviews always make my day. :DDD_

And everyone else who mentioned me and I might have missed…I know there was at least one other person whose name I forgot and whose review I couldn't find.

_If there's anyone I forgot, I deeply apologize._

Alright. I thought I'd tell you all how this story started. You guys know how they've been making Maximum Ride into a manga series? Well, back when I was in eighth grade, I bought the first two books. On the back of the second one, there's a picture of Fang and Iggy. I looked at Iggy, then flipped through the book and looked at Nudge after she had her makeover. I was in a bit of a Niggy phase there, so I thought to myself, _Now, what would happen if these two were to have a reunion after several years apart?_

Well, you can all see what it looked like. xD

I figured if these two were split up, then everyone else was, too. They needed a reason to be brought back together…hence the prologue. That is literally all I had in mind when I began this story. And now, four new super powers, eight good-guy mutant OCs, an evil and super-powered mother, an asshole of an Eraser, and a blown up school later…here I am. Jeez Louise, eh?

(Oh, that's a bit of a lie. I had a brief idea of Phoebe getting dragged into the mess later on…but it involved a fall down an elevator shaft and/or off the top of the college dormitory, neither of which happened. xD)

So, as I'm sure you can all guess, I'm surprised as hell that I actually finished this story.

Next, I'd like to talk about the sequel. I told you guys that I'd write one if I got enough requests…and there was a unanimous vote. There's gonna be a sequel. Like I said, it won't be around for a while - a _long_ while, due to _Everybody Gone Mad._ Also, I have another MR story that I'm planning on beginning when I'm a good deal of the way through _Everybody Gone Mad,_ to be called _Kings and Queens._ Both of these stories are kind of like _U and A_ in the sense that they're both gonna be long…haha. So, there _will_ be a sequel, but it won't be around until I'm done with _Everybody Gone Mad_ and a good way through _Kings and Queens,_ which is likely to be at least a year from now. Haha, so, next January, I guess be looking for a story that says 'Sequel to U and A' in the description. I'll try and get out it on U and A's third birthday, but we'll have to see.

I guess that's all there is to say for now. There is one last thing, though: thank you so much for all your reviews and criticism! I love you all! :DDDD


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